BTS wins Artist of the Year at the 2026 American Music Awards in Las Vegas
BTS won the award for Artista from Ano at the 52nd edition of American Music Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the evening of Monday, May 25, 2026. The honor, voted for by fans, marks the second time the South Korean group has received the distinction and the first since going on hiatus to fulfill military service obligations. BTS had won the same category in 2021, consolidating their legacy as one of the biggest names in the global music industry.
The awards ceremony registered great movement in the general and specific categories, with several artists collecting multiple trophies. The night was marked by the celebration of new talents and the reaffirmation of renowned names in pop, rock and various musical genres.
Katseye wins award from Artista Revelação
The Katseye group aroused the same level of enthusiasm among fans and won the Artista Revelação award from Ano. Competition in this category was particularly fierce, with rising stars like Sombr, Olivia Dean, Ella Langley, Leon Thomas and Alex Warren also vying for the trophy. The victory consolidated Katseye as one of the main promises in the current music industry.
Além from the general new category, Katseye also received additional awards on the night:
- Melhor Videoclipe by “Gnarly”
- Artista Revelação Pop
Members Yoonchae, Lara Raj, Janice Joostema, Sophia Laforteza and Megan Skiendiel took the stage to receive Artista Revelação’s award from Ano, bringing energy to the ceremony that celebrated new emerging talents in popular music.
Sombr dominates rock and alternative category
Sombr didn’t win the overall Artista Revelação award, but he emerged as one of the night’s big winners in the rock and alternative categories. Após his performance on the program, the artist took the stage multiple times to receive significant awards in his category.
Trophies won by Sombr include:
- Melhor Canção from Rock/Alternative by “Back to Friends”
- Melhor Álbum from Rock/Alternate by “I Barely Know Her”
- Artista Revelação by Rock/Alternativo (prize announced outside of the live broadcast)
Sombr’s robust performance in the rock categories positioned the artist among the ceremony’s biggest winners, tying with other highlights in total number of awards.
“Golden” emerges as soundtrack of the year
The fervor generated by “KPop Demon Hunters” did not go unnoticed by American Music Awards’s Academia. The song “Golden” and its performers EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami took the Canção award from Ano, one of the most competitive categories of the night. The song also gained recognition in other categories, such as Melhor Performance Vocal and Melhor Canção Pop, consolidating its impact on the music industry.
The soundtrack for “KPop Demon Hunters” was honored with the Melhor Trilha Sonora award, demonstrating that the complete work resonated strongly with the voting public. Esta was one of the most interesting narratives of the ceremony, as the soundtrack won four categories throughout the night, whether for the main song or for compositions related to the project.
Sabrina Carpenter and Cardi B win multiple awards
Sabrina Carpenter emerged as one of the night’s biggest winners in the pop segment, taking three awards. The album “Man’s Best Friend” was recognized as Álbum by Ano, while Carpenter also received the awards of Melhor Artista Pop Feminina and Melhor Álbum Pop. Cardi B also won three trophies, dominating the hip-hop category with awards for Melhor Artista Feminina of Hip-Hop, Melhor Canção of Hip-Hop for “ErrTime” and Melhor Álbum of Hip-Hop for “Am I the Drama?”.
The strength of Carpenter in pop and Cardi B in hip-hop reaffirmed the dominance of both artists in their respective segments, consolidating them among the greatest forces in contemporary commercial music.
Bruno Mars shines in R&B categories
Bruno Mars won three awards in the R&B categories, positioning itself as one of the highlights of the ceremony. The trophies won were Melhor Artista Masculino for R&B, Melhor Canção for R&B for “I Just Might” and Melhor Álbum for R&B for the work “The Romantic”. SZA also received recognition as Melhor Artista Feminina for R&B, while Leon Thomas took the award for Artista Revelação for R&B.
The R&B category recorded a night of celebration for established artists and new talent, reflecting the genre’s continued vitality in popular music today.
Shakira and Bad Bunny win Latin categories
Shakira won two awards on the night, including Melhor Artista Feminina Latina and the award for Turnê from Ano, recognizing their “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour” as the most significant tour of the period. Bad Bunny also received two awards, beating Melhor Artista Masculino Latino and Melhor Canção Latina for “NUEVAYoL”. Karol G was awarded the special award by Artista Internacional of Excelência, in addition to Melhor Álbum Latino for “Tropicoqueta”, cementing her position as a dominant force in Latin American music.
The ceremony’s Latin category reflected the growing influence of artists from the continent in the global music industry, with strong representation across multiple categories and consistent recognition of talent.
Outros highlights and multiple winners
Diversos artists tied for the most wins during the ceremony, each winning three awards. Além of BTS, Katseye, Sombr, Carpenter and Cardi B, the list included Bruno Mars and the vocal group Huntr/X, formed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami. Este prize balance reflected the diversity of musical styles and the strength of multiple artists in different segments.
Taylor Swift arrived at the awards as the main candidate, with eight nominations, but left empty-handed at the ceremony. Mesmo thus no one comes close to American Music Awards’s record for most nominations, which remains at 40 awards. Olivia Dean, who tied for second place with seven nominations, also did not win any trophies. Lady Gaga and Alex Warren, who came into the night with six nominations each, also did not emerge as winners.
Bad Bunny, Ella Langley, Shakira, Tyla and Zara Larsson won two awards each. Zara Larsson took Ano’s Colaboração, shared with PinkPantheress for the song “Stateside”, as well as Ano’s Álbum Revelação for “Midnight Sun”. Ella Langley beat Melhor Artista Feminina from Música Country and Melhor Canção Country for “Choosin’ Texas”.
Homenagens and special prizes
The ceremony also included special awards and tributes to renowned artists. Billy Idol received the Prêmio Carreira, recognizing decades of contributions to the music industry. Darius Rucker was awarded Prêmio Voz by Veteranos, celebrating his importance in American music.
In the CBS/Paramount+ broadcast, the awards were only given to the winners present at the venue to receive their trophies. Ano’s Álbum award was revealed after the live broadcast ended, being awarded to Sabrina Carpenter for “Man’s Best Friend”, one of three awards that were announced for the artist after the television show ended.
Categorias technical and specialized
Twenty One Pilots took the award from Melhor Artista from Rock/Alternative, with Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph receiving the trophy on stage. Morgan Wallen beat Melhor Artista Masculino from Música Country, while Kendrick Lamar beat Melhor Artista Masculino from Hip-Hop. Justin Bieber received the award from Melhor Artista Pop Masculino.
David Guetta was recognized as Melhor Artista by Dance/Eletrônica, consolidating its influence in the electronic segment. Tyla took the award from Melhor Artista to Afrobeats, reflecting the growth of the genre in the music industry. Noah Kahan won in the Melhor Artista category from Americana/Folk.
Contexto of the awards
American Music Awards 2026 reaffirmed BTS’ position as a dominant force in the global music industry, even during their strategic hiatus for military obligations. The ceremony celebrated the diversity of genres, the emergence of new talents and the continuity of established artists in their respective categories. The night also highlighted the growing influence of Latin artists, the strength of K-Pop and the vitality of genres such as rock, hip-hop and R&B in contemporary music.
The broadcast reached millions of viewers across CBS and the Paramount+ streaming platform, cementing American Music Awards as one of the most important music awards events on the global entertainment calendar. The ceremony at MGM Grand Garden Arena at Las Vegas provided a memorable visual spectacle, with performances by nominated artists and celebratory moments of large-scale professional recognition.
