5 Minutes
Las Vegas felt like a global pop summit the night the American Music Awards landed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Lights. Roars. A few surprise hugs. If you were scrolling, you probably stopped at the winners — and for good reason: this edition folded together K-pop energy, pop reinvention and breakout newcomers into one tidy, loud evening.
Taylor Swift walked in with eight nominations, but the biggest haul belonged to a mix of familiar faces and rising acts: KATSEYE, SOMBR, Sabrina Carpenter, BTS and Bruno Mars each left with three awards. Sabrina — who scored her very first AMAs — surprised some and delighted others by taking Album of the Year for Man’s Best Friend, plus Best Female Pop Artist and Best Pop Album. BTS kept their global momentum strong, earning Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer for 'SWIM,' and Best Male K-Pop Artist. KATSEYE, meanwhile, turned heads as New Artist of the Year while also claiming Best Music Video for 'Gnarly.'
The show aired live on CBS and Paramount+ and moved at a brisk, unpredictable pace. Queen Latifah announced she would host, and the night included moments that felt less like awards and more like cultural check-ins — who’s rising, who’s reinvented, and which songs are still stuck in everyone’s head.
52nd American Music Awards — Winners
New Artist of the Year: KATSEYE
Album of the Year: Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
Song of the Year: The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: 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 — American Heart World Tour
Breakthrough Album of the Year: Zara Larsson — Midnight Sun
Best Throwback Song: Black Eyed Peas — 'Rock That Body'
Best Vocal Performance: The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami — 'Golden'
Song of the Summer: BTS — 'SWIM'
Best Male Pop Artist: Justin Bieber
Best Female Pop Artist: Sabrina Carpenter
Breakthrough Pop Artist: KATSEYE
Best Pop Song: The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami — 'Golden'
Best Pop Album: Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
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 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
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 room applauded expected victories and cheered the unexpected. For global fans, the AMAs remain a rare place where genres collide — pop and country, K-pop and Afrobeats, rock and electronic — and where the viral and the veteran stand side by side.
If you missed the live stream or want to check who was nominated in each category, the night’s full nominees list is circulating across music sites and social feeds; reading it is a good way to map where tastes might be headed next year. Who got snubbed? Who will come back hungrier? The awards answered a few of those questions, but mostly they sparked new ones. Dive into the winners, pick your favorites, and tell us which moment from the show you can’t stop replaying.
Source: deadline
Comments
Marius
Wait Taylor had 8 noms and barely mentioned? are we sure this wasn't staged or.. just messy voting? curious who got snubbed, feels off
atomwave
wow Sabrina taking Album of the Year? didn't see that coming. KATSEYE new artist, BTS still dominating... Vegas went full global pop, love it but also lol
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