American Music Awards 2026 Winners

The American Music Awards for 2026 happened on May 25, and of course I was excited about it because BTS was in attendance (obviously). But, that’s not the only reason. I love to watch award shows because I love seeing people get recognition and appreciation for the worka and art. I also love seeing the interactions between the different artists and worlds (cause each genre is in it’s own space). SO let’s get into the winners for this year:

 

Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny

Bruno Mars

WINNER: BTS

Harry Styles

Justin Bieber

Kendrick Lamar

Lady Gaga

Morgan Wallen

Sabrina Carpenter

Taylor Swift

 

New Artist of the Year

Alex Warren

Ella Langley

WINNER: KATSEYE

Leon Thomas

Olivia Dean

sombr

 

Album of the Year

Cardi B – AM I THE DRAMA?

Fuerza Regida – 111xpantia

Justin Bieber – SWAG

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem

Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving

Playboi Carti – MUSIC

WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend

Tate McRae – So Close to What

Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl

 

Song of the Year

Alex Warren – “Ordinary”

Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”

WINNER: HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”

Kehlani – “Folded”

Leon Thomas – “MUTT”

Morgan Wallen – “I’m The Problem”

Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

sombr – “back to friends”

Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”

 

Collaboration of the Year

BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way”

David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones And I – “Gone Gone Gone”

Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae – “What I Want”

WINNER: PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”

Shaboozey, Jelly Roll – “Amen”

 

Social Song of the Year

Disco Lines, Tinashe – “No Broke Boys”

PinkPantheress – “Illegal”

Role Model – “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”

WINNER: Tyla – “CHANEL”

Zara Larsson – “Lush Life”

 

Best Music Video

WINNER: KATSEYE – “Gnarly”

ROSALÍA, Björk, Yves Tumor – “Berghain”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”

Tyla – “CHANEL”

 

Best Soundtrack

F1 The Album

Hazbin Hotel: Season Two

WINNER: KPop Demon Hunters

Wicked: For Good

Charli xcx – Wuthering Heights

 

Tour of the Year

Beyoncé – “Cowboy Carter Tour”

Kendrick Lamar, SZA – “Grand National Tour”

Lady Gaga – “The Mayhem Ball”

Oasis – “Oasis Live ‘25 Tour”

WINNER: Shakira – “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour”

 

Breakout Tour (New)

WINNER: Benson Boone – “American Heart World Tour”

Kali Uchis – “The Sincerely, Tour”

The Marías – “Submarine Tour”

Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay? Tour”

Sleep Token – “Even in Arcadia Tour”

 

Breakthrough Album of the Year (New)

Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving

sombr – I Barely Know Her

WINNER: Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun

 

Best Throwback Song (New)

4 Non Blondes – “What’s Up”

WINNER: Black Eyed Peas – “Rock That Body”

Goo Goo Dolls – “Iris”

 

Best Vocal Performance (New)

Alex Warren – “Ordinary”

WINNER: The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”

Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”

Sienna Spiro – “Die on this Hill”

 

Song of the Summer (New)

Alex Warren – “FEVER DREAM”

Bella Kay – “iloveitiloveitiloveit”

WINNER: BTS – “SWIM”

Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”

Harry Styles – “American Girls”

Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”

PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”

sombr – “Homewrecker”

Tame Impala, JENNIE – “Dracula”

Taylor Swift – “Elizabeth Taylor”

 

Best Male Pop Artist

Alex Warren

Benson Boone

Ed Sheeran

Harry Styles

WINNER: Justin Bieber

 

Best Female Pop Artist

Lady Gaga

Olivia Dean

WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter

Tate McRae

Taylor Swift

 

Breakthrough Pop Artist (New)

WINNER: KATSEYE

Sienna Spiro

Zara Larsson

 

Best Pop Song

Alex Warren – “Ordinary”

WINNER: HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”

Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”

 

Best Pop Album

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving

WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend

Tate McRae – So Close to What

Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl

 

Best Male Country Artist

Jelly Roll

Luke Combs

WINNER: Morgan Wallen

Riley Green

Shaboozey

 

Best Female Country Artist

WINNER: Ella Langley

Kelsea Ballerini

Lainey Wilson

Megan Moroney

Miranda Lambert

 

Best Country Duo or Group

Brooks & Dunn

Old Dominion

Rascal Flatts

Treaty Oak Revival

WINNER: Zac Brown Band

 

Breakthrough Country Artist (New)

WINNER: Sam Barber

Tucker Wetmore

Zach Top

 

Best Country Song

BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way”

WINNER: Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”

Morgan Wallen – “Just in Case”

Russell Dickerson – “Happen to Me”

Shaboozey – “Good News”

 

Best Country Album

BigXthaPlug – I Hope You’re Happy

WINNER: Megan Moroney – Cloud 9

Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem

Sam Barber – Restless Mind

Tucker Wetmore – What Not To

 

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

Don Toliver

WINNER: Kendrick Lamar

Playboi Carti

Tyler, The Creator

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

 

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

WINNER: Cardi B

Doechii

GloRilla

Sexyy Red

YKNIECE

 

Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist (New)

EsDeeKid

WINNER: Monaleo

PLUTO

 

Best Hip-Hop Song

WINNER: Cardi B – “ErrTime”

Drake – “NOKIA”

Gunna, Burna Boy – “wgft”

Playboi Carti, The Weeknd – “Rather Lie”

YKNIECE, Quavo, Metro Boomin, Breskii – “Take Me Thru Dere”

 

Best Hip-Hop Album

WINNER: Cardi B – AM I THE DRAMA?

Don Toliver – OCTANE

Gunna – The Last Wun

Playboi Carti – MUSIC

YoungBoy Never Broke Again – MASA

 

Best Male R&B Artist

WINNER: Bruno Mars

Chris Brown

Daniel Caesar

PARTYNEXTDOOR

The Weeknd

 

Best Female R&B Artist

Kehlani

Summer Walker

WINNER: SZA

Teyana Taylor

Tyla

 

Breakthrough R&B Artist

WINNER: Leon Thomas

Mariah the Scientist

Ravyn Lenae

 

Best R&B Song

WINNER: Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”

Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”

Kehlani – “Folded”

Leon Thomas – “MUTT”

Mariah the Scientist – “BURNING BLUE”

 

Best R&B Album

WINNER: Bruno Mars – The Romantic

Justin Bieber – SWAG

Leon Thomas – MUTT

Mariah the Scientist – HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY

Summer Walker – Finally Over It

 

Best Male Latin Artist

WINNER: Bad Bunny

Junior H

Peso Pluma

Rauw Alejandro

Tito Double P

 

Best Female Latin Artist

Gloria Estefan

KAROL G

Natti Natasha

ROSALÍA

WINNER: Shakira

 

Best Latin Duo or Group

Clave Especial

WINNER: Fuerza Regida

Grupo Firme

Grupo Frontera

Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Breakthrough Latin Artist (New)
Beéle

WINNER: Kapo

Netón Vega

 

Best Latin Song

WINNER: Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL”

benny blanco, Selena Gomez, The Marías – “Ojos Tristes”

Fuerza Regida – “Marlboro Rojo”

Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera – “ME JALO”

KAROL G – “LATINA FOREVA”

 

Best Latin Album

Fuerza Regida – 111xpantia

WINNER: KAROL G – Tropicoqueta

Netón Vega – Mi Vida Mi Muerte

Peso Pluma, Tito Double P – DINASTÍA

ROSALÍA – Lux

 

Best Rock/Alternative Artist

Deftones

Linkin Park

The Marías

Sleep Token

WINNER: Twenty One Pilots

 

Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist (New)

Geese

Gigi Perez

WINNER: sombr

 

Best Rock/Alternative Song

Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”

Linkin Park – “Up From the Bottom”

WINNER: sombr – “back to friends”

Sublime – “Ensenada”

Tame Impala – “Dracula”

 

Best Rock/Alternative Album

Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia

WINNER: sombr – I Barely Know Her

Tame Impala – Deadbeat

Twenty One Pilots – Breach

Zach Bryan – With Heaven on Top

 

Best Dance/Electronic Artist

Calvin Harris

WINNER: David Guetta

Fred again..

ILLENIUM

John Summit

 

Best Male K-Pop Artist

ATEEZ

WINNER: BTS

ENHYPEN

Stray Kids

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

 

Best Female K-Pop Artist

aespa

BLACKPINK

ILLIT

LE SSERAFIM

WINNER: TWICE

 

Best Afrobeats Artist

Burna Boy

MOLIY

Rema

WINNER: Tyla

Wizkid

 

Best Americana/Folk Artist (New)

Lord Huro

The Lumineers

Mumford & Sons

WINNER: Noah Kahan

Tyler Childers