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Before the holiday weekend ends, the 2026 American Music Awards will take place.
The annual music awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Memorial Day for the second year in a row. Similar to last year, the Veterans Voices Awards recognize musicians for their contributions to supporting veterans across the country. Country crooner Zac Brown was the first winner. Darius Rucker will receive that honor tonight.
Additionally, Karol G will receive the International Outstanding Artist Award, and Billy Idol will be honored for his lifetime achievement in music.
Taylor Swift leads tonight’s total nominations with eight categories, and this year introduces 12 new categories, including Best Breakout Tour and Song of the Summer.
2026 Amateur: What you need to know
Date: May 25th, 8pm ET Venue: Fontainebleau Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Channel: CBS Streaming: DIRECTV (Try it for free)
Here’s everything you need to know about watching the American Music Awards tonight without cable (and maybe even free).
American Music Awards 2026
The 2026 American Music Awards begin tonight, May 25th at 8pm ET.
How to watch and stream the 2026 AMA for free:
To watch the AMAs for free, you’ll need a live TV streaming service with a free trial.
DIRECTV is my favorite service to watch live TV for free. Its 5-day free trial includes CBS among its 90+ live channels. Once your trial period ends, you’ll pay for one of DIRECTV’s premium streaming packages for as low as $59.99 per month.
You can also watch the AMA live on Paramount+. The premium plan costs $13.99 per month after a 7-day free trial. This plan is only available if you sign up through Prime Video.
Who is hosting tonight’s AMA?
Queen Latifah will host the 52nd AMAs. She first co-hosted the AMA in 1995.
2026 AMA Candidates:
A total of 50 AMAs will be distributed this year. These are some of the top prizes, but you can see the full list here.
Artist of the year:
Bad Bunny Bruno Mars BTS Harry Styles Justin Bieber Kendrick Lamar Lady Gaga Morgan Warren Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year:
Alex Warren Ella Langley Katseye Leon Thomas Olivia Dean Sombre
Album of the year:
Cardi B: “Am I 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” 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” Huntricks: Ejay, Audrey Nuna, Ray Ami – “Golden” Kehlani – “Fold” Leon Thomas – “Matt” Morgan Warren – “I’m the Problem” Olivia Dean – “Man I Need” Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” Sombre – “Back to Friends” Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
2026 AMA performers
In addition to special award winners Karol G, Billy Idol and Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish), expect performances from Katsy, Twenty One Pilots, Teddy Swims, Keith Urban, Maluma, Riley Greene, Sombre, Teyana Taylor, New Kids on the Block, Pussycat Dolls and Busta Rhymes.
There’s also a star-studded lineup of presenters, including music icons Paula Abdul and Busta Rhymes. comedians Matt Rife, Gabriel Iglesias, and Nikki Glazer; Olympic gold medalist Alisa Liu. “Hacks” stars Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs. “Giggle Corps” co-host Hannah Berner. Former “RHOBH” star Lisa Rinna and more.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, commerce streaming reporter for the New York Post, Page Six and Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date on how to watch all of their favorite reality shows and movies on each streaming service. In addition to testing and comparing streaming services for her writing to help her readers get the best deals, Angela is also an enthusiast who specializes in the intersection of shopping, technology, sports, celebrities, and pop culture. Before joining the Post in 2023, he wrote about streaming and consumer technology for Insider Reviews.
