Get your hands ready! The 2026 American Music Awards are just around the corner, and the award show announced the 50 categories that fans can vote on.
The most popular categories include Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best New Artist.
The American Music Awards honors the most influential artists and songs of today, along with unforgettable performances and special moments, in a multi-genre, cross-generational celebration of music. It is the world’s largest fan-voted award show, and has been since 1974.
The 2025 American Music Awards reached over 10 million unique viewers across its CBS and Paramount+ broadcast, which was the show’s largest audience since 2019. How will it do this year?
Here is everything we know about the award show.
When do the 2026 AMAs air?
The 52nd annual AMAs will air on Monday, May 25, on Memorial Day. The awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The live coast-to-coast show will air on CBS at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.
Who is hosting?
A host has not yet been announced, but please check back for updates.
Previous hosts have included Jennifer Lopez, who took up the podium duties at the 2025 awards, Wayne Brady in 2022, and Cardi B in 2021.
Who is performing?
Performers are typically announced a few days before the award show. Please return here for updates regarding performing announcements.
Who are the presenters?
Presenters have not yet been announced.
When will the nominees be announced?
The 2026 American Music Awards will announce the nominees on Tuesday, April 14. The nominees are based on fan interactions on the Billboard charts, including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses.
Please check back here for the nominees’ list.
What categories will awards be given away in?
50 categories were announced on March 12. They include:
- Artist of the Year
- New Artist of the Year
- Album of the Year
- Song of the Year
- Collaboration of the Year
- Social Song of the Year
- Best Music Video
- Best Soundtrack
- Tour of the Year
- Breakthrough Touring Artist
- Breakthrough Album of the Year
- Throwback Song of the Year
- Best Vocal Performance
- Song of the Summer
- Best Male Pop Artist
- Best Female Pop Artist
- Breakthrough Pop Artist
- Best Pop Song
- Best Pop Album
- Best Male Country Artist
- Best Female Country Artist
- Best Country Duo or Group
- Breakthrough Country Artist
- Best Country Song
- Best Country Album
- Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
- Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
- Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist
- Best Hip-Hop Song
- Best Hip-Hop Album
- Best Male R&B Artist
- Best Female R&B Artist
- Breakthrough R&B Artist
- Best R&B Song
- Best R&B Album
- Best Male Latin Artist
- Best Female Latin Artist
- Best Latin Duo/Group
- Breakthrough Latin Artist
- Best Latin Song
- Best Latin Album
- Best Rock/Alternative Artist
- Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist
- Best Rock/Alternative Song
- Best Rock/Alternative Album
- Best Dance/Electronic Artist
- Best Male K-Pop Artist
- Best Female K-Pop Artist
- Best Afrobeats Artist
- Best Americana / Folk Artist
How can you vote?
Fan voting will once again power the AMAs, with voting officially opening on Tuesday, April 14 and closing on Friday, May 8. Voting details and category information are available at TheAMAs.com.
Who is receiving special honors?
The American Music Awards typically give out the ICON Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. The recipients have not yet been announced.
Who has the most wins?
Taylor Swift tops the leaderboard with 40 wins. Michael Jackson received 26, and Whitney Houston won 22. Swift will most likely pick up a few more wins if her 2025 album, The Life of a Showgirl, is nominated.
Additional details, including performers, presenters, special honorees, and ticket on-sale for the AMAs, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 52nd American Music Awards, Monday, May 25, live coast to coast, 8EST/5PST, CBS