2026 American Music Awards Take Place In Las Vegas, Nevada

The 52nd Annual American Music Awards took place on Monday (May 25) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s ceremony was hosted by Queen Latifah and featured a number of music’s biggest stars.

Created by Dick Clark in 1974, the show recognizes artists across multiple genres. Unlike some other major music awards, AMA winners are primarily determined by fan voting, along with streaming, sales, radio airplay, and touring data.

Following the success of last year’s broadcast, CBS and Paramount+ picked up the fan-voted award show for five more years, through 2030.

Country Music Represents At The AMA’s

Broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, one of the most anticipated performances of the night was from none other than country superstar and Best Male Country Artist nominee, Riley Green. Other country performers included Keith Urban and Darius Rucker’s Hootie & the Blowfish.

Taylor Swift led the nominations at eight for the night following her release of “The Life of a Showgirl.” Closely trailing behind was Morgan Wallen with seven nominations.

Country music heavily represented the 2026 AMA’s, with Ella Langley and Wallen earning nominations in several all-genre categories. The genre also made a major impact in the Collaboration of the Year category, where country artists and crossover hits secured a large share of the nominations.

Riley Green Performs For The First Time At The AMA’s

During Monday night’s show, Green took the stage to perform his track, “Worst Way.” Originally released in March of 2024, the hit is one of his most-streamed songs.

Dressed in his casual cowboy wear and a desert landscape behind him, Green had the AMA crowd on their feet as he performed the sultry song.

You can watch a clip of Riley Green’s debut AMA performance below.