LAS VEGAS — BTS had a rousing return to the American Music Awards on Monday, taking home artist of the year honors and winning in the other two categories in which they were nominated.

[ Read more trending news  ]

The South Korean group also won the Song of the Summer award for “Swim,” and captured Best K-Pop Male Artist honors.

The 52nd annual American Music Awards ceremony was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Queen Latifah was the host; she co-hosted the 1995 ceremonies with Tom Jones and Lorrie Morgan, Billboard reported.

Billy Idol was honored with a lifetime achievement award and closed the show with a medley of his hits, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He capped off his set with “Dancing With Myself.”

Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker, was honored with the Veterans Voice Award, while Karol G received the International Artist Award of Excellence, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sombr earned three awards -- best rock/alternative song for “Back to Friends” and best rock/alternative album for “I Hardly Knew Her,” and breakthrough rock/alternative artist, Billboard reported.

Taylor Swift led in nominations with eight but did not win any awards. She did not attend the awards show, according to People. Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter and sombr were nominated in seven categories each, Billboard reported.

Here is the list of the nominees. Winners are marked in bold.

Artist of the year

• BTS
• Bad Bunny
• Bruno Mars
• Harry Styles
• Justin Bieber
• Kendrick Lamar
• Lady Gaga
• Morgan Wallen
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Taylor Swift

New artist of the year

• KATSEYE
• Alex Warren
• Ella Langley
• Leon Thomas
• Olivia Dean
• sombr

Album of the year

• Sabrina Carpenter, “Man’s Best Friend”
• 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”
• Tate McRae, “So Close To What”
• Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl”

Song of the year

• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, “Golden”
• Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
• Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas”
• 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

• PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson, “Stateside”
• BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman, “All The Way”
• David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones And I, “Gone Gone Gone”
• Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae, “What I Want
• Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, “Amen

Social song of the year

• Tyla, “Chanel”
• Disco Lines, Tinashe, “No Broke Boys”
• PinkPantheress, “Illegal”
• Role Model, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”
• Zara Larsson, “Lush Life”

Best music video

• KATSEYE, “Gnarly”
• Rosalia, Björk, Yves Tumor, “Berghain”
• Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
• Taylor Swift, “The Fate of Ophelia”
• Tyla, “Chanel”

Best soundtrack

• KPop Demon Hunters
• F1 The Album
• Hazbin Hotel: Season Two
• Wicked: For Good
• Charli xcx, “Wuthering Heights”
• PinkPantheress, “Illegal”
• Role Model, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”
• Tyla, “Chanel”
• Zara Larsson, “Lush Life”

Tour of the year

• Shakira, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour”
• Beyoncé, “Cowboy Carter Tour”
• Kendrick Lamar, SZA, “Grand National Tour”
• Lady Gaga, “The Mayhem Ball”
• Oasis, “Oasis Live ‘25 Tour”

Breakout tour

• 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

• Zara Larsson, “Midnight Sun”
• Olivia Dean, “The Art of Loving”
• sombr, “I Barely Know Her”

Best throwback song

• Black Eyed Peas, “Rock That Body”
• 4 Non Blondes, “What’s Up”
• Goo Goo Dolls, “Iris”

Best vocal performance

• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, “Golden”
• Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
• Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
• RAYE, “Where is My Husband!”
• Sienna Spiro, “Die on this Hill”

Song of the summer

• BTS, “Swim”
• Alex Warren, “Fever Dream”
• Bella Kay, “iloveitiloveitiloveit”
• 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

• Justin Bieber
• Alex Warren
• Benson Boone
• Ed Sheeran
• Harry Styles

Best female pop artist

• Sabrina Carpenter
• Lady Gaga
• Olivia Dean
• Tate McRae
• Taylor Swift

Breakthrough pop artist

• KATSEYE
• Sienna Spiro
• Zara Larsson

Best pop song

• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, “Golden”
• Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
• Olivia Dean, “Man I Need”
• Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
• Taylor Swift, “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best pop album

• Sabrina Carpenter, “Man’s Best Friend”
• Lady Gaga, “Mayhem”
• Olivia Dean, “The Art of Loving”
• Tate McRae, “So Close To What”
• Taylor Swift, “The Life of a Showgirl”

Best male country artist

• Morgan Wallen
• Jelly Roll
• Luke Combs
• Riley Green
• Shaboozey

Best female country artist

• Ella Langley
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Lainey Wilson
• Megan Moroney
• Miranda Lambert

Best country duo or group

• Zac Brown Band
• Brooks & Dunn
• Old Dominion
• Rascal Flatts
• Treaty Oak Revival

Breakthrough country artist

• Sam Barber
• Tucker Wetmore
• Zach Top

Best country song

• Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas
• BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman, “All The Way”
• Morgan Wallen, “Just In Case”
• Russell Dickerson, “Happen To Me”
• Shaboozey, “Good News”

Best country album

• Megan Moroney, “Cloud 9″
• BigXthaPlug, “I Hope You’re Happy”
• Morgan Wallen, “I’m The Problem”
• Sam Barber, “Restless Mind”
• Tucker Wetmore, “What Not To”

Best male hip-hop artist

• Kendrick Lamar
• Don Toliver
• Playboi Carti
• Tyler, The Creator
• YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Best female hip-hop artist

• Cardi B
• Doechii
• GloRilla
• Sexyy Red
• YKNIECE

Breakthrough hip-hop artist

• Monaleo
• EsDeeKid
• PLUTO

Best hip-hop song

• 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

• 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

• Bruno Mars
• Chris Brown
• Daniel Caesar
• PARTYNEXTDOOR
• The Weeknd

Best female R&B artist

• SZA
• Kehlani
• Summer Walker
• Teyana Taylor
• Tyla

Breakthrough R&B artist

• Leon Thomas
• Mariah the Scientist
• Ravyn Lenae

Best R&B song

• 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

• 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

• Bad Bunny
• Junior H
• Peso Pluma
• Rauw Alejandro
• Tito Double P

Best female Latin artist

• Shakira
• Gloria Estefan
• Karol G
• Natti Natasha
• Rosalia

Best Latin duo or group

• Fuerza Regida
• Clave Especial
• Grupo Firme
• Grupo Frontera
• Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Breakthrough Latin artist

• Kapo
• Beéle
• Netón Vega

Best Latin song

• 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

• Karol G, “Tropicoqueta”
• Fuerza Regida, “111xpantia”
• Netón Vega, “Mi Vida Mi Muerte”
• Peso Pluma, Tito Double P, “DINASTÍA”
• ROSALÍA, “Lux”

Best rock/alternative artist

• Twenty One Pilots
• Deftones
• Linkin Park
• The Marías
• Sleep Token

Breakthrough rock/alternative artist

• sombr
• Geese
• Gigi Perez

Best rock/alternative song

• sombr, “Back to Friends”
• Noah Kahan, “The Great Divide”
• Linkin Park, “Up From The Bottom”
• Sublime, “Ensenada”
• Tame Impala, Jennie, “Dracula”

Best rock/alternative album

• sombr, “I Barely Know Her”
• Sleep Token, “Even In Arcadia"
• Tame Impala, “Deadbeat”
• Twenty One Pilots, “Breach”
• Zach Bryan, “With Heaven On Top”

Best dance/electronic artist

• David Guetta
• Calvin Harris
• Fred again..
• ILLENIUM
• John Summit

Best male K-Pop artist

• BTS
• ATEEZ
• ENHYPEN
• Stray Kids
• TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Best female K-Pop artist

• Twice
• aespa
• BLACKPINK
• ILLIT
• LE SSERAFIM

Best Afrobeats artist

• Tyla
• Burna Boy
• MOLIY
• Rema
• Wizkid

Best Americana/folk artist

• Noah Kahan
• Lord Huron
• The Lumineers
• Mumford & Sons
• Tyler Childers

0 of 47

©2026 Cox Media Group