The music industry’s elite gathered on Memorial Day Monday for the highly anticipated return of the American Music Awards (AMAs). Broadcasting live to hand out trophies to the year’s chart-topping artists, the night belonged to global icon Taylor Swift, who converted her field-leading eight nominations into massive wins for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for her hit project The Life of a Showgirl.
Iconic multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah took center stage as the evening’s host, marking a historic return to the AMA microphone exactly 30 years after her first time emceeeding the gala.
New Categories Shake Up the Dynamic
The 2026 ceremony introduced a major structural shake-up with 11 newly minted award categories, giving a platform to breakout tours, throwback nostalgia, and independent sub-genres.
Rising stars Olivia Dean and Sombr entered the night neck-and-neck with seven nominations each, squaring off across multiple categories. In the end, Ella Langley pulled a major upset to capture the coveted New Artist of the Year crown.
THE OFFICIAL AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS LIST
Flagship Trophies & General Field
| Award Category | Official Winner |
| Artist of the Year | Taylor Swift |
| New Artist of the Year | Ella Langley |
| Album of the Year | Taylor Swift, The Life of a Showgirl |
| Song of the Year | Taylor Swift, “The Fate of Ophelia” |
| Collaboration of the Year | Morgan Wallen ft. Tate McRae, “What I Want” |
| Social Song of the Year | Tyla, “Chanel” |
| Best Music Video | Taylor Swift, “The Fate of Ophelia” |
| Best Soundtrack | KPop Demon Hunters |
Newly Introduced Categories (2026 Debuts)
| Award Category | Official Winner |
| Breakthrough Album of the Year | Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving |
| Best Throwback Song | Black Eyed Peas, “Rock That Body” |
| Best Vocal Performance | The Singing Voices of Huntr/X, “Golden” |
| Song of the Summer | Taylor Swift, “Elizabeth Taylor” |
GENRE-SPECIFIC ACCOLADES
Pop & Rock/Alternative
| Genre Block | Best Male Artist | Best Female Artist | Best Song / Album |
| Pop | Harry Styles | Taylor Swift | Song: Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” Album: Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl |
| Rock / Alternative | N/A (Combined category) | N/A (Combined category) | Top Artist: Linkin Park Song: Linkin Park – “Up From the Bottom” Album: Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia |
Breakthrough Categories: Katseye took home the trophy for Breakthrough Pop Artist, while Sombr locked down the win for Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist.
Hip-Hop & R&B
| Genre Block | Best Male Artist | Best Female Artist | Best Song / Album |
| Hip-Hop | Kendrick Lamar | Cardi B | Song: Drake – “Nokia” Album: Playboi Carti – Music |
| R&B | The Weeknd | Teyana Taylor | Song: Kehlani – “Folded” Album: Leon Thomas – Mutt |
Breakthrough Categories: Pluto won Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist, while Ravyn Lenae claimed the honors for Breakthrough R&B Artist.
Country, Latin & Global
| Genre Block | Best Male / Group | Best Female | Best Song / Album / Artist |
| Country | Morgan Wallen Group: Old Dominion | Lainey Wilson | Song: Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” Album: Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem |
| Latin | Bad Bunny Group: Grupo Firme | Karol G | Song: Bad Bunny – “Nuevayol” Album: Fuerza Regida – 111xpantia |
| Global Fields | BTS (Best Male K-Pop) | TWICE (Best Female K-Pop) | Afrobeats: Rema Dance/Electronic: Fred again.. Americana/Folk: Noah Kahan |
Breakthrough Categories: Sam Barber captured Breakthrough Country Artist, while Netón Vega earned the title of Breakthrough Latin Artist.
Live Performance Trophies
- Tour of the Year: Oasis, Oasis Live ‘25 Tour
- Breakout Tour of the Year: Benson Boone, American Heart World Tour