Who had the best number of the night?
5/26/2026
Daniela Avanzini, Sophia Laforteza, Megan Skiendiel, Lara Raj and Yoonchae of KATSEYE performs onstage at The 52nd American Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 25, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rich Polk/Dick Clark Productions
The 2026 AMAs took over the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday (May 25). Hosted by Queen Latifah, the American Music Awards weren’t just about American music—some of the biggest roars of applause were reserved for BTS, especially when the South Korean boy band finally stormed the stage midshow after a pretaped performance which had kicked off the evening. Colombian powerhouse Karol G made major waves on the AMAs stage, too—reflecting the fact that at the AMAs, the largest fan-voted awards show, it’s all about what the fans want, regardless of borders.
Taking place on Memorial Day, the AMAs—which partnered with 11 military & veterans’ services organizations this year—took care to salute American servicemen and servicewomen for their sacrifices at several points during the show, with host Queen Latifah and Darius Rucker sharing heartfelt appreciations for active-duty service members and veterans. (Rucker also performed as part of Hootie & the Blowfish, the alt-rock band that rocketed him to stardom back in the ’90s.)
By the time the show wrapped, BTS took home the top honor of the night, artist of the year, as well as two other AMAs; Sombr also walked away with three AMAs. You can check out the full winners list for the 2026 AMAs here. But who had the night’s best performance? Below, see our take on all the 2026 AMAs performances, ranked from least favorite to absolute best.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
-
Keith Urban, “Summer Breeze”
Country legend Keith Urban has maintained a strong, sweet vocal tone over the years, and it’s well-suited to take on Seals and Crofts’ classic 1972 single “Summer Breeze.” Part of his 2026 album Flow State, it’s a fine cover, but does an awards show in 2026 really need a fairly faithful cover of a 54-year-old ballad? Especially as the night goes into its third hour? At the very least, it served as a salute to the late Dash Crofts (even if no one on stage mentioned his recent death), and BTS seemed to dig it.
-
Twenty One Pilots, “Drag Path”
No, not a song about a drag queen’s path to superstardom, but part of Twenty One Pilots’ complicated lore, their universe of characters, storylines and intertwining melodies. Building from a ballad to a pummeling rocker, “Drag Path” feels impactful and meaningful, and the staging was cool. But for those without in-depth knowledge of the duo’s lore, this performance felt a bit like walking into a movie at the 60-minute mark, watching three minutes and then leaving.
-
New Kids on the Block, “The Right Stuff”
To plug their upcoming Las Vegas residency, which kicks off June 19 at Dolby Live at Park MGM, New Kids on the Block brought a taste of what to expect to the AMAs stage. Arriving in a white convertible and surrounded by a sea of glowing Vegas marquees, the iconic boy band brought a lot of flashy energy to “The Right Stuff.” When they busted out some Morris Day-esque choreography, you know Lisa Rinna was vibing. It wasn’t earth-shattering stuff, it wasn’t jaw-dropping stuff, but it was the right stuff for a fun lil diversion.
-
Billy Idol, “Eyes Without a Face”/”Dancing With Myself”
Honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the AMAs ahead of his well-deserved Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction this fall, Billy Idol hit the stage to sing two of his biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits. Opening with the melancholy “Eyes Without a Face,” the performance — which closed a three-hour show — felt a bit muted at the start, but Idol’s longtime ally, guitar pro Steve Stevens, helped push things into higher gear with his soloing. By the time they segued into “Dancing With Myself,” Idol found a gravely punk groove and had the whole arena dancing with themselves (next to each other) until the confetti dropped.
-
Riley Green, “Worst Way”
Following a powerful salute to the nation’s veterans on Memorial Day, Riley Green took the stage to sing his slow-burning country-rocker “Worst Way.” Green is one of the best in country music right now, and his voice perpetually smolders, but the single is two years old at this point, so it felt a bit like a throwback (perhaps fitting since Black Eyed Peas had just been on stage for their big win). A newer song might’ve hit harder, but still a solid performance of a sneakily catchy tune.
-
Hootie & the Blowfish, “Hold My Hand”/”Only Wanna Be With You”
An alt-rock band with a long AMAs history, Hootie & the Blowfish helped open the 2026 show with the first live in-venue performance. Floating out two ‘90s classics, their debut single “Hold My Hand” and their highest-charting Hot 100 hit (No. 6) “Only Wanna Be With You,” the band was in fine form and frontman Darius Rucker’s voice has lost none of its easygoing grit. Even if both songs came out well before they were born, the members of KATSEYE were rockin’ along.
-
Maluma, “Tu Recuerdo”
With his mic stand wrapped in the Colombian flag, Maluma crooned and shimmied his way through a charming and nostalgic rendition of “Tu recuerdo.” As pictures from his childhood appeared on the screen behind him and his dazzling smile lit up the stage, Maluma sang the sweet salsa song backed by an effortlessly grooving band. It was a nice, warm and winning moment.
-
Teyana Taylor, “All of Your Heart”
As Queen Latifah noted, Teyana Taylor took the AMAs stage fresh off an Oscar nomination for One Battle After Another–and her tripped-out, spacey performance of “All of Your Heart” felt like a cinematic moment unto itself thanks to immersive staging, disorienting camerawork, eerie lighting and sci-fi-flavored choreography and costuming. The whole thing felt like a throwback to the kind of wild, wacked-out spectacles Missy Elliott was known for delivering—and sure enough, Misdemeanor herself appeared halfway through the performance via video to faux interrupt the broadcast and warn us about this UFO (Unidentified Fabulous Object).
-
Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes & Spliff Star, “Buttons”/”When I Grow Up”/”Club Song”/”Don’t Cha”
In skintight latex, the reunited Pussycat Dolls — Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts — hit rewind and took us back 20 years. Bending, snapping, mean mugging and, of course, harmonizing together, the trio had the arena partying like it was the mid ’00s with “Buttons” and “When I Grow Up” before segueing into a bit of comeback single “Club Song.” When the trio strutted out into the crowd for “Don’t Cha,” it seemed like everyone at the AMAs was channeling their inner seductress and singing along — at least until Busta Rhymes’ rapid-fire rhymes knocked them onto their asses.
-
Sombr, “Homewrecker”
As Nikki Glaser joked earlier in the show, it hasn’t been that long since Sombr, who turns 21 this year, was in high school. But the New York singer-songwriter is learning fast what it means to command a stage like a pro, and during his performance of “Homewrecker,” he wailed and wooed his way through the lovelorn rock song, never losing his connection with the camera or the crowd. At the end of the song, a downpour from above left him theatrically drenched, his eyeliner smudged and chic clothes clinging to his body. Suffice it to say, the man knows what his fans want.
-
Karol G, “Ivonny Bonita”
Prior to being honored with not one but two AMAs simultaneously, Karol G demonstrated exactly why she was worthy of being handed the International Artist Award of Excellence on the AMAs stage. Moving slowly and sensuously beneath a full moon, falling particles of light and gauzy fabrics floating around her, Karol G sang “Ivonny Bonita.” Her voice was in fine, robust form, and her body was at its acrobatic best (she could put some personal trainers to shame). Karol G had no band or backup dancers, but the well-paced choreography and her instinctive command of a crowd made it clear she didn’t need any of that to own the room.
-
BTS, “Hooligan”
Prerecorded, off-site performances sometimes fall a bit flat during an awards show, failing to catch that in-venue excitement. That was not a problem for BTS on Sunday night. Not at all. Drenched in sleek black duds, the Bangtan Boys prowled around the stage of Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium — where they’re currently in the midst of a four-night stint on their Arirang World Tour — like hungry wildcats while delivering the devious “Hooligan.” If they were boy-band cute before the hiatus, they’re serving hot hooliganism now, whether singing, swaggering or seducing the camera. A roar of applause greeted BTS when they arrived at the MGM Grand Garden Arena about an hour later to attend the rest of the show in person, almost as if the audience had been holding in that pent-up energy since the breathtaking performance.
-
KATSEYE, “Pinky Up”
Emerging from a giant teddy bear with subwoofers for eyes, KATSEYE (minus Manon, who is currently on hiatus from the group) burst onto the stage in an explosion of candy colors, quirky choreography and breakneck pacing. With plush toys glued to their boots, bras and armbands, the group’s members spat out the hyperpop rush of “Pinky Up” like Princess Peach rushing through a level with star invincibility protection. Bonkers and wild but still vocally impressive, KATSEYE injected the AMAs with a delightful dose of delirious adrenaline during its second half.
Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox
Sign Up
The Daily
A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.
We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
