AMAs add Busta Rhymes, Pussycat Dolls, NKOTB

CBS and Dick Clark Productions added Busta Rhymes, the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids On The Block to the 2026 American Music Awards performance lineup this week, expanding the roster ahead of the Memorial Day telecast. The additions were first reported by Dailyfly on May 20 and are now reflected on the official AMAs lineup page. The 52nd annual show is scheduled for Monday, May 25, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Queen Latifah as host. The broadcast will air live at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+. ### Which artists were newly added to the show? The official AMAs lineup page lists Busta Rhymes, New Kids On The Block and the Pussycat Dolls among the performers for the 2026 ceremony. Their appearance expands a bill that had already included Billy Idol, Hootie & the Blowfish, KAROL G, KATSEYE, Keith Urban, Maluma, Riley Green, SOMBR, Teddy Swims, Teyana Taylor and Twenty One Pilots. BTS is listed separately for a “special appearance.” (dailyfly.com) Dailyfly reported the three additions on May 20, saying they had officially joined the Memorial Day broadcast roster. The AMAs site does not, in the lineup listing now live, distinguish them with a separate announcement post, but it does place all three names on the current performer page. (theamas.com) ### How does BTS fit into the latest AMA rollout? The AMAs said on May 20 that BTS will make its first award-show appearance in four years at the 52nd ceremony. The announcement described the group’s participation as a “special appearance,” rather than a performance slot on the lineup page. STARNEWS said BTS is also competing at this year’s ceremony against artists including Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift, a detail echoed in the background of Dailyfly’s report. (dailyfly.com) The official AMAs nominees page is live, though the lineup page is focused on onstage participants rather than competitive categories. (theamas.com) ### What else is on the program besides the performances? Billy Idol is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the show, according to Dailyfly’s report and the AMAs news page. KAROL G is also scheduled to be honored with the International Artist Award of Excellence. (dailyfly.com) Queen Latifah will host the broadcast from Las Vegas. Billboard reported that this year marks her return to the AMAs stage as host after previously co-hosting the show in 1995, and said the 2026 edition will be held at the largest venue in the show’s history, MGM Grand Garden Arena. (dailyfly.com) ### Where and when can viewers watch it? The AMAs said the 52nd ceremony will air live on Monday, May 25, from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBS and will also stream on Paramount+. Tickets are available through AXS, according to the AMAs announcement. (billboard.com) Billboard reported in March that the show’s return to Memorial Day follows the same holiday scheduling used in 2025, though this year’s ceremony shifts to MGM Grand Garden Arena from last year’s Las Vegas venue. ### What should viewers watch for next? Monday, May 25, is the next key date, when the expanded performer slate takes the stage and BTS makes its announced special appearance. (theamas.com) The official AMAs lineup and news pages remain the clearest source for any last-minute additions or program changes before airtime. (theamas.com) (billboard.com)