The 2026 American Music Awards turned into a massive celebration for K-pop, viral music, and fan-powered artists. BTS grabbed the biggest award of the night by winning Artist of the Year despite still being on military hiatus, proving the group’s popularity really hasn’t faded even a little. The ceremony also became a breakthrough moment for Katseye and the soundtrack phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters, both of which collected multiple trophies across major categories.
While fans celebrated surprise wins and emotional moments throughout the night, another huge talking point came from the artists who surprisingly lost. Taylor Swift entered the ceremony with the highest number of nominations but ended up leaving empty-handed. Still, the night clearly belonged to younger fanbases, internet-driven music trends, and artists whose online popularity translated directly into votes.
Full Winners List From The 2026 American Music Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Artist of the Year | BTS |
| New Artist of the Year | Katseye |
| Album of the Year | Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend |
| Song of the Year | EJAE, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami – Golden |
| Collaboration of the Year | PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson – Stateside |
| Social Song of the Year | Tyla – Chanel |
| Best Music Video | Katseye – Gnarly |
| Best Soundtrack | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Tour of the Year | Shakira – Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour |
| Breakout Tour | Benson Boone |
| Breakthrough Album of the Year | Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun |
| Best Throwback Song | Black Eyed Peas – Rock That Body |
| Best Vocal Performance | EJAE, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami – Golden |
| Song of the Summer | BTS – Swim |
Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Male Pop Artist | Justin Bieber |
| Best Female Pop Artist | Sabrina Carpenter |
| Breakthrough Pop Artist | Katseye |
| Best Pop Song | EJAE, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami – Golden |
| Best Pop Album | Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend |
| Best Male Hip-Hop Artist | Kendrick Lamar |
| Best Female Hip-Hop Artist | Cardi B |
| Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist | Monaleo |
| Best Hip-Hop Song | Cardi B – ErrTime |
| Best Hip-Hop Album | Cardi B – Am I the Drama? |
| Best Male R&B Artist | Bruno Mars |
| Best Female R&B Artist | SZA |
| Breakthrough R&B Artist | Leon Thomas |
| Best R&B Song | Bruno Mars – I Just Might |
| Best R&B Album | Bruno Mars – The Romantic |
Country, Latin, Rock and K-Pop Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Male Country Artist | Morgan Wallen |
| Best Female Country Artist | Ella Langley |
| Best Country Duo or Group | Zac Brown Band |
| Breakthrough Country Artist | Sam Barber |
| Best Country Song | Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas |
| Best Country Album | Megan Moroney – Cloud 9 |
| Best Male Latin Artist | Bad Bunny |
| Best Female Latin Artist | Shakira |
| Best Latin Duo or Group | Fuerza Regida |
| Breakthrough Latin Artist | Kapo |
| Best Latin Song | Bad Bunny – NUEVAYoL |
| Best Latin Album | Karol G – Tropicoqueta |
| Best Rock/Alternative Artist | Twenty One Pilots |
| Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist | Sombr |
| Best Rock/Alternative Song | Sombr – Back to Friends |
| Best Rock/Alternative Album | Sombr – I Barely Know Her |
| Best Dance/Electronic Artist | David Guetta |
| Best Male K-Pop Artist | BTS |
| Best Female K-Pop Artist | Twice |
| Best Afrobeats Artist | Tyla |
| Best Americana/Folk Artist | Noah Kahan |
The ceremony also included special honors, with Billy Idol receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Overall, the AMAs once again showed how strongly fan culture and online communities now influence global music awards.
