Taylor Swift will not attend AMAs

Taylor Swift will not attend the 2026 American Music Awards on Monday, May 25, despite entering the show as its leading nominee with eight nods, according to reports from People and E! News. The awards are scheduled to air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+. Swift is nominated in top categories including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for her 2025 release “The Life of a Showgirl.” People reported the absence on Friday, and E! said it had confirmed she would not be in attendance. ### How significant is Swift’s absence from this year’s show? Taylor Swift’s eight nominations make her the top-nominated artist heading into the 52nd annual ceremony, according to Yahoo’s awards coverage. The nominations include Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, placing her at the center of several marquee categories even without a planned appearance. (yahoo.com) E! News reported that Swift will not be in Las Vegas for the ceremony, while People said the singer-songwriter is skipping the show despite those nominations. Neither report, based on the available coverage, gave a reason for the decision. ### Which categories is she nominated in? “The Life of a Showgirl,” released in 2025, earned Swift a place in Album of the Year and Best Pop Album, according to the People and Yahoo reports surfaced Saturday. (msn.com) Yahoo’s preview also listed Swift among contenders for Artist of the Year as the show’s leading nominee. (eonline.com) People’s report noted that Swift remains one of the AMAs’ most decorated acts. Other coverage circulating Saturday described her as the awards’ most-awarded artist, though the immediate attendance reports focused on this year’s eight nominations rather than a career total. ### If Swift isn’t going, who is still expected to be there? (yahoo.com) BTS will make what organizers called a “special appearance” at the ceremony, CBS and Dick Clark Productions announced on May 20. The appearance will be the group’s first award-show appearance in four years, according to the AMAs announcement and related coverage from Deadline, Rolling Stone and RTTNews. (yahoo.com) RTTNews described BTS as 11-time American Music Award winners, and the official AMAs release said the group’s appearance marks a return to the show where it made its U.S. television performance debut in 2017. Yahoo’s nominations coverage also listed BTS among the top nominees this year. ### When and where can viewers watch the AMAs? (theamas.com) The 52nd American Music Awards will air live on Monday, May 25, from Las Vegas on CBS and Paramount+, according to the official AMAs release and multiple entertainment outlets. The show is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT. Queen Latifah is set to host the broadcast, according to the official AMAs materials. (rttnews.com) CBS and Dick Clark Productions announced the ceremony as a Memorial Day telecast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. ### What happens next before showtime? Monday, May 25, is the next key date: CBS and Paramount+ are set to carry the live broadcast from Las Vegas, with BTS scheduled for a special appearance and Swift absent from the room. (theamas.com) The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, according to the AMAs announcement.