The 52nd American Music Awards air live tonight, 25 May 2026, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Taylor Swift leading all nominees on eight nods and a Pussycat Dolls reunion already generating serious noise.
The show broadcasts on CBS and streams on Paramount+ from 20:00 ET (02:00 SAST on 26 May), and if the build-up is anything to go by, it is going to be a full evening. Queen Latifah is in the host chair for the first time, and CBS locked in a lineup that bridges nostalgia and now in a way that does not feel forced.
As reported by Billboard, the ceremony returns to Las Vegas for the second consecutive year.
Who is performing at the 2026 AMAs
The performer lineup is where things get interesting. The Pussycat Dolls, now consisting of Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, are taking the stage alongside Busta Rhymes in a performance that marks exactly 20 years since the two acts first shared a stage at the AMAs on the original 2005 recording of Don’t Cha.
That one feels deliberate, and the lead-up chatter on social media has been loud about it.
BTS are also confirmed performers, as are New Kids on the Block, Teddy Swims, Twenty One Pilots, Maluma, Hootie and the Blowfish, Keith Urban, Riley Green, KATSEYE and SOMBR.
Special award recipients Karol G, Billy Idol and Darius Rucker are also expected to perform as part of their respective tributes.
Who is nominated and who could win
Taylor Swift leads the field with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl and Song of the Year for The Fate of Ophelia.
Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean each carry seven nominations. Alex Warren and Lady Gaga follow with six each.
It is worth noting that Swift has not been confirmed as attending or performing, which leaves her nomination tally as the night’s defining question mark. If she shows up, that changes the energy of the room considerably.
Special awards are already confirmed: Billy Idol receives the Lifetime Achievement Award, Karol G takes the International Artist Award of Excellence and Darius Rucker is honoured with the Veterans Voice Award.
What happens next
Tonight’s show is live. Winners will be announced in real time from around 20:00 ET, and the Pussycat Dolls performance in particular is being closely watched given the ongoing buzz around a wider PCD Forever Tour reunion.
Whether Taylor Swift appears, and what she does if she does, will likely dominate the post-show conversation into Tuesday.
