The trophies are out, the winners have spoken, and the 2026 American Music Awards delivered a night packed with big victories, breakout moments, and plenty of surprises.
Hosted by Queen Latifah, the 52nd annual AMAs aired live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where music’s biggest names gathered to celebrate another year of chart-topping songs and unforgettable performances.
While Taylor Swift entered the night with the most nominations, it was BTS, Sabrina Carpenter, KATSEYE, and several breakout artists who stole much of the spotlight. From emotional first wins to fan-favorite victories, the evening proved just how much the music world continues to evolve.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest winners from the 2026 American Music Awards.
BTS wins Artist of the Year
One of the night’s biggest honors went to BTS, who took home Artist of the Year, beating out a stacked category that included Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift.
The group also claimed Song of the Summer for “SWIM,” adding another major fan-voted win to their collection.
Sabrina Carpenter scores major pop victories
It was a huge night for Sabrina Carpenter, whose album Man’s Best Friend won both Album of the Year and Best Pop Album.
She also earned Best Female Pop Artist, proving she continues to be one of pop music’s biggest forces.
KATSEYE makes a breakout statement
Newcomer KATSEYE had one of the most exciting nights of all.
The group won New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist, and Best Music Video for “Gnarly,” making them one of the ceremony’s biggest breakout stars.
“Golden” shines bright
The song “Golden” by HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami) had an impressive showing, winning Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Song.
It was one of the clearest sweeps of the night.
Hip-hop and R&B celebrate familiar favorites
Cardi B dominated the hip-hop categories, winning Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Best Hip-Hop Song for “ErrTime,” and Best Hip-Hop Album for AM I THE DRAMA?
Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar earned Best Male Hip-Hop Artist.
In R&B, Bruno Mars had a standout night with wins for Best R&B Artist, Best R&B Song for “I Just Might,” and Best R&B Album for The Romantic.
SZA took home Best Female R&B Artist, while Leon Thomas was named Breakthrough R&B Artist.
Country music honors rising and established stars
Morgan Wallen won Best Male Country Artist, while Ella Langley claimed Best Female Country Artist and Best Country Song for “Choosin’ Texas.”
Megan Moroney earned Best Country Album for Cloud 9, and Sam Barber was named Breakthrough Country Artist.
Latin music celebrates powerhouse performers
Bad Bunny was named Best Male Latin Artist and also won Best Latin Song for “NUEVAYoL.”
Shakira took home Best Female Latin Artist, while KAROL G won Best Latin Album for Tropicoqueta.
Fuerza Regida also had a strong night, winning Best Latin Duo or Group.
More memorable wins
Several other standout victories helped round out the evening:
- Shakira won Tour of the Year for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour
- Benson Boone earned Breakout Tour for American Heart World Tour
- Zara Larsson won Breakthrough Album of the Year for Midnight Sun
- Justin Bieber took Best Male Pop Artist
- Tyla won both Social Song of the Year for “CHANEL” and Best Afrobeats Artist
- Twenty One Pilots claimed Best Rock/Alternative Artist
- sombr won three breakthrough rock honors, including Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist
- David Guetta was named Best Dance/Electronic Artist
- TWICE won Best Female K-Pop Artist
- Noah Kahan earned Best Americana/Folk Artist
A night for legends, too
The AMAs also honored music icons alongside today’s biggest stars.
Billy Idol received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while KAROL G was honored with the International Artist Award of Excellence. Darius Rucker received the Veterans Voice Award, and his band Hootie & the Blowfish joined the celebration with a performance.
With legendary artists being recognized and a new generation stepping into the spotlight, the 2026 American Music Awards showed just how exciting the future of music looks.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She’s made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kiss951.com ’
