BTS won Artist of the Year at the 52nd American Music Awards on Monday night, capping a comeback that began with their ARIRANG tour opener in April and their first major release after mandatory military service. The group opened the broadcast from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with a performance of "Hooligan" — Queen Latifah's first time hosting the AMAs in more than 30 years.
The Top Four
The night's four marquee prizes split across pop, K-pop, and animation soundtrack:
- Artist of the Year: BTS
- Album of the Year: Sabrina Carpenter, Man's Best Friend
- Song of the Year: "Golden" — The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
- New Artist of the Year: KATSEYE
KATSEYE and SOMBR led the field for first-time nominees with three trophies each. Sabrina Carpenter took three as well: Album of the Year, Best Female Pop Artist, and Best Pop Album.
Genre Winners
- Hip-Hop: Kendrick Lamar (Male), Cardi B (Female)
- R&B: Bruno Mars (Male), SZA (Female)
- Country: Morgan Wallen (Male), Ella Langley (Female)
- Latin: Bad Bunny (Male), Shakira (Female)
- K-Pop: BTS (Male), TWICE (Female)
- Afrobeats: Tyla
- Rock/Alternative: Twenty One Pilots
Special Honors
Billy Idol received the Lifetime Achievement Award. KAROL G took the International Artist Award of Excellence. Darius Rucker received the inaugural Veterans Voice Award.
CBS reported the broadcast drew the largest fan-vote total in the show's history. The 2026 AMAs aired live on CBS and Paramount+ from 8 PM ET. A complete winners list is posted on the AMAs website.
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