Taylor Swift Leads 2026 AMAs With 8 Nominations
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Taylor Swift tops the 2026 American Music Awards nominations with eight nods, followed by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sombr with seven each.
- Queen Latifah will host the 52nd AMAs at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, May 25, airing on CBS at 8 p.m. ET and streaming on Paramount+.
- Billy Idol is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Karol G will receive the International Artist Award of Excellence and perform during the ceremony.
- Confirmed performers include Hootie & the Blowfish, Katseye, Keith Urban, Maluma, The Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes, Riley Green, Sombr, Teddy Swims, Teyana Taylor, and Twenty One Pilots.
- The presenter lineup includes Hilary Duff, Paula Abdul, John Legend, Jason Derulo, GloRilla, Mariah the Scientist, and Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, among others.
- Attending nominees include BTS, Black Eyed Peas, 4 Non Blondes, Goo Goo Dolls, Fuerza Regida, Lord Huron, and Tinashe.
Why it matters: With eight nominations, Swift remains the dominant force in the 2026 awards cycle, while the show pairs legacy acts (Billy Idol, Hootie & the Blowfish) with current chart-toppers (Karol G, Sombr, Sabrina Carpenter), giving CBS and Paramount+ a Memorial Day tentpole event to anchor their live programming slate.
