Ten music industry stars are competing for the Artist of the Year category at the 2026 American Music Awards.
K-pop boy group BTS finally won the award on Monday, May 25, at a ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, as the rapper presented. Busta Rhymes.
“Armies, we have succeeded again, thank you, it is an honor to receive this precious medal again after everyone has finished their military service,” said RM. “As the famous Busta Rhymes said, it's a fan-voted award, so our biggest thanks and our gratitude as always goes to the ARMIES around the world who have been with us for the past 13 years, thank you very much.”
Other nominees in the Artist of the Year category were there Bad rabbit, Bruno Mars, Harry styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter again Taylor Swift.
Throughout her career, Swift, 36, won Artist of the Year at the AMAs seven times — in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 — and was nominated 11 times in the category. Bieber, 32, is the only other nominee this year to have won the award multiple times, winning twice previously in 2010 and 2012 and five times in total.
Two other contenders have won Artist of the Year once in the past: Mars in 2017 and BTS in 2021. The “I Just Might” crooner, 40, has been nominated three times for the award, while the boy band has won it twice.
Regarding the remaining nominees, Gaga, 40, has been nominated four times for Artist of the Year, while Lamar, 38, has won three times in this category. Bad Bunny, 32, Styles, 32, Wallen, 33, and Carpenter, 27, all received two nominations each.
At the 2026 awards show, Swift led a slew of nominations. Apart from Artist of the Year, she won eight including Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. A Showgirl's LifeSong of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Pop Song for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Song of the Summer for “Elizabeth Taylor.”
Carpenter and Wallen followed with seven picks each. She has won Artist of the Year, Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. Man's Best Friend and Song of the Year, Best Music Video and Best Pop Song for “Manchild.” He was nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Male Country Artist, Album of the Year and Best Country Album I'm the ProblemSong of the Year “I'm Trouble,” Mix of the Year “What I Want” no Tate McRae and Best Country Song for “Just in Case.”
For her part, Gaga won six awards for Artist of the Year, Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. Chaos“Abracadabra” Best Vocal Performance and Tour of the Year Ball of Mayhem.
With four nominations each, Mars is up for Art of the Year, Best Male R&B Artist, Best R&B Song for “I Just Might” and Best R&B Album Romancewhile Bieber is up for Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Best R&B Album Swag and Best Male Pop Artist.
Bad Bunny, BTS, Styles and Lamar all received three nods, including Artist of the Year. As for the other nominees, Bad Bunny was up for Best Male Latin Artist and Best Latin Song for “Nuevayol,” BTS was up for Song of the Summer for “Swim” and Best Male K-Pop Artist, Styles was up for Song of the Summer for “American Girls” and Best Male Pop Artist and Lamar was up for his Tour of the Year. The SZA The Grand National Tour and Best Hip-Hop Artist.
