AMA 2026 Nominees: Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tyla & MOLIY Shortlisted

The official list of nominees for the 2026 American Music Awards (AMAs) is finally out, and African artists are making a huge impact.

Top Afrobeats stars Wizkid and Burna Boy are back in the spotlight with new nominations. They are joined by the fast-growing South African star Tyla, who scored several nominations, and the talented Ghanaian-American singer MOLIY. Together, these four artists are proudly representing the African continent on the global music stage.

Here are the quick facts about the upcoming event:

Event Details at a Glance

Get ready for music’s biggest night! Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming show:

• The Event: 52nd American Music Awards
• The Date: May 25, 2026
• The Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena
• The Host: The famous Queen Latifah

It promises to be an unforgettable night filled with amazing performances and your favorite stars celebrating the year in music!. This historic lineup shows that African music continues to take over the world!

GENERAL CATEGORIES (NOMINATIONS)

New Artist of the Year

• Alex Warren
• Ella Langley
• KATSEYE
• Leon Thomas
• Olivia Dean
• SOMBR

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny
• Bruno Mars
• BTS
• Harry Styles
• Justin Bieber
• Kendrick Lamar
• Lady Gaga
• Morgan Wallen
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Taylor Swift

Best Music Video

• KATSEYE – “Gnarly”
• ROSALÍA, Björk, Yves Tumor – “Berghain”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
• Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
• Tyla – “CHANEL”

Social Song of the Year

• Disco Lines, Tinashe – “No Broke Boys”
• PinkPantheress – “Illegal”
• Role Model – “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”
• Tyla – “CHANEL”
• Zara Larsson – “Lush Life”

Song of the Year

• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
• Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”
• Kehlani – “Folded”
• Leon Thomas – “MUTT”
• Morgan Wallen – “I’m The Problem”
• Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
• SOMBR – “back to friends”
• Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”

Album of the Year

• Cardi B – “AM I THE 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”

Best Soundtrack

• F1 The Album
• Hazbin Hotel: Season Two
• KPop Demon Hunters
• Wicked: For Good
• Charli xcx – Wuthering Heights

Tour of the Year

• Beyoncé – “Cowboy Carter Tour”
• Kendrick Lamar, SZA – “Grand National Tour”
• Lady Gaga – “The Mayhem Ball”
• Oasis – “Oasis Live ‘25 Tour”
• Shakira – “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour”

Breakthrough Album of the Year

• Olivia Dean – “The Art of Loving”
• SOMBR – “I Barely Know Her”
• Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”

Best Throwback Song

• 4 Non Blondes – “What’s Up”
• Black Eyed Peas – “Rock That Body”
• Goo Goo Dolls – “Iris”

Breakout Tour

• Benson Boone – “American Heart World Tour”
• Kali Uchis – “The Sincerely, Tour”
• The Marías – “Submarine Tour”
• Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay? Tour”
• Sleep Token – “Even in Arcadia Tour”

Best Vocal Performance

• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”
• Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
• RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”
• SIENNA SPIRO – “Die on this Hill”

Song of the Summer

• Alex Warren – “FEVER DREAM”
• Bella Kay – “iloveitiloveitiloveit”
• BTS – “SWIM”
• Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
• Harry Styles – “American Girls”
• Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
• PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”
• SOMBR – “Homewrecker”
• Tame Impala, JENNIE – “Dracula”
• Taylor Swift – “Elizabeth Taylor”

POP CATEGORIES

Best Male Pop Artist

• Alex Warren
• Benson Boone
• Ed Sheeran
• Harry Styles
• Justin Bieber

Best Female Pop Artist

• Lady Gaga
• Olivia Dean
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Tate McRae
• Taylor Swift

Breakthrough Pop Artist

• KATSEYE
• SIENNA SPIRO
• Zara Larsson
• Best Pop Song
• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”
• Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
• Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best Pop Album

• Lady Gaga – “Mayhem”
• Olivia Dean – “The Art of Loving”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “Man’s Best Friend”
• Tate McRae – “So Close To What”
• Taylor Swift – “The Life of a Showgirl”

COUNTRY CATEGORIES

Best Male Country Artist

• Jelly Roll
• Luke Combs
• Morgan Wallen
• Riley Green
• Shaboozey

Best Female Country Artist

• Ella Langley
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Lainey Wilson
• Megan Moroney
• Miranda Lambert

Best Country Duo or Group

• Brooks & Dunn
• Old Dominion
• Rascal Flatts
• Treaty Oak Revival
• Zac Brown Band

Breakthrough Country Artist

• Sam Barber
• Tucker Wetmore
• Zach Top

Best Country Song

• BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All The Way”
• Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
• Morgan Wallen – “Just In Case”
• Russell Dickerson – “Happen To Me”
• Shaboozey – “Good News”

Best Country Album

• BigXthaPlug – “I Hope You’re Happy”
• Megan Moroney – “Cloud 9”
• Morgan Wallen – “I’m The Problem”
• Sam Barber – “Restless Mind”
• Tucker Wetmore – “What Not To”

HIP-HOP CATEGORIES

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

• Don Toliver
• Kendrick Lamar
• Playboi Carti
• Tyler, The Creator
• YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

• Cardi B
• Doechii
• GloRilla
• Sexyy Red
• YKNIECE

Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist

• EsDeeKid
• Monaleo
• PLUTO

Best Hip-Hop Song

• Cardi B – “ErrTime”
• Drake – “NOKIA”
• Gunna, Burna Boy – “wgft”
• Playboi Carti, The Weeknd – “Rather Lie”
• YKNIECE, Quavo, Metro Boomin, Breskii – “Take Me Thru Dere”

Best Hip-Hop Album

• Cardi B – “AM I THE DRAMA?”
• Don Toliver – “OCTANE”
• Gunna – “The Last Wun”
• Playboi Carti – “MUSIC”
• YoungBoy Never Broke Again – “MASA”

R&B CATEGORIES

Best Male R&B Artist

• Bruno Mars
• Chris Brown
• Daniel Caesar
• PARTYNEXTDOOR
• The Weeknd

Best Female R&B Artist

• Kehlani
• Summer Walker
• SZA
• Teyana Taylor
• Tyla

Breakthrough R&B Artist

• Leon Thomas
• Mariah the Scientist
• Ravyn Lenae
• Best R&B Song
• Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
• Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”
• Kehlani – “Folded”
• Leon Thomas – “MUTT”
• Mariah the Scientist – “BURNING BLUE”

Best R&B Album

• Bruno Mars – “The Romantic”
• Justin Bieber – “SWAG”
• Leon Thomas – “MUTT”
• Mariah the Scientist – “HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY”
• Summer Walker – “Finally Over It”

LATIN CATEGORIES

Best Male Latin Artist

• Bad Bunny
• Junior H
• Peso Pluma
• Rauw Alejandro
• Tito Double P

Best Female Latin Artist

• Gloria Estefan
• KAROL G
• Natti Natasha
• ROSALÍA
• Shakira

Best Latin Duo or Group

• Clave Especial
• Fuerza Regida
• Grupo Firme
• Grupo Frontera
• Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Breakthrough Latin Artist

• Beéle
• Kapo
• Netón Vega

Best Latin Song

• Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL”
• benny blanco, Selena Gomez, The Marías – “Ojos Tristes”
• Fuerza Regida – “Marlboro Rojo”
• Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera – “ME JALO”
• KAROL G – “LATINA FOREVA”

Best Latin Album

• Fuerza Regida – “111xpantia”
• KAROL G – “Tropicoqueta”
• Netón Vega – “Mi Vida Mi Muerte”
• Peso Pluma, Tito Double P – “DINASTÍA”
• ROSALÍA – “Lux”

ROCK CATEGORIES

Best Rock/Alternative Artist

• Deftones
• Linkin Park
• The Marías
• Sleep Token
• Twenty One Pilots

Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist

• Geese
• Gigi Perez
• SOMBR

Best Rock/Alternative Song

• Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
• Linkin Park – “Up From The Bottom”
• SOMBR – “back to friends”
• Sublime – “Ensenada”
• Tame Impala – “Dracula”

Best Rock/Alternative Album

• Sleep Token – “Even In Arcadia”
• SOMBR – “I Barely Know Her”
• Tame Impala – “Deadbeat”
• Twenty One Pilots – “Breach”
• Zach Bryan – “With Heaven On Top”

DANCE/ELECTRONIC CATEGORIES

Best Dance/Electronic Artist

• Calvin Harris
• David Guetta
• Fred again..
• ILLENIUM
• John Summit

K-POP CATEGORIES

Best Male K-Pop Artist

• ATEEZ
• BTS
• ENHYPEN
• Stray Kids
• TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Best Female K-Pop Artist

• aespa
• BLACKPINK
• ILLIT
• LE SSERAFIM
• TWICE

AFROBEATS CATEGORIES

Best Afrobeats Artist

• Burna Boy
• MOLIY
• Rema
• Tyla
• Wizkid

AMERICANA/FOLK CATEGORIES

Best Americana/Folk Artist

• Lord Huron
• The Lumineers
• Mumford & Sons
• Noah Kahan
• Tyler Childers