BTS to appear at AMAs May 25

BTS will make a special appearance at the 52nd American Music Awards on Monday, May 25, according to CBS and Dick Clark Productions. Taylor Swift, who is nominated for eight awards, will not attend the ceremony in Las Vegas, E! News reported Friday. The show will air live from MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8 p.m. (theamas.com) ET on CBS and Paramount+. The pairing of those two developments gives the 2026 AMAs a clear pre-show split: BTS are confirmed to be in the room, while Swift — one of the night’s most-nominated artists — is not. (theamas.com) The AMAs said BTS’s appearance marks the group’s first award show appearance in four years. (theamas.com) ### When exactly are BTS appearing, and what has been announced? CBS and Dick Clark Productions said on May 20 that BTS will make a “special appearance” at the 52nd AMAs. The organizers did not describe the segment as a performance in the announcement cited on the AMAs website. They said the group are 11-time American Music Award winners and called the booking their first award-show appearance in four years. (theamas.com) The AMAs website lists BTS among the show’s headline items ahead of Monday’s broadcast. The ceremony is scheduled for Memorial Day, May 25, from Las Vegas. (theamas.com) ### Why is Taylor Swift part of the story if she is not attending? E! News reported on May 22 that Swift will not attend the AMAs in Las Vegas on May 25. That report said she is still one of the night’s biggest contenders, with eight nominations. The AMAs nominee list shows Swift is up for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for “The Life of a Showgirl,” Song of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” Best Music Video, Best Female Pop Artist and other categories. (theamas.com) Her absence means one of the ceremony’s most-nominated artists will not be present even if she wins. (theamas.com) ### How much are BTS and Swift competing on the ballot? The 2026 nominees page shows BTS and Swift overlap in at least some fan-voted categories. BTS are nominated for Artist of the Year and Song of the Summer for “SWIM,” while Swift is nominated across top-field categories including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. (eonline.com) Yahoo, citing Gold Derby odds, reported Saturday that BTS were favored over Swift in some races. The AMAs themselves describe the show as fan-voted, and voting has been conducted through the awards’ official channels. (theamas.com) ### What else is locked in for the May 25 broadcast? Queen Latifah will host the 52nd American Music Awards, according to the BTS appearance announcement on the AMAs site. The same release said the ceremony will air live on CBS and Paramount+ from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (theamas.com) The AMAs homepage also lists other planned on-show moments, including honors for Billy Idol and Darius Rucker. Those details place BTS’s appearance within a broadcast built around performances, tributes and special segments rather than only award presentations. ### Where can viewers watch, and what happens next? (yahoo.com) The 52nd American Music Awards will air live on Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+, according to the AMAs announcement and homepage. BTS are confirmed for a special appearance, Swift is nominated but not expected to attend, and the winners will be announced during the Las Vegas telecast. (theamas.com 1) (theamas.com 2)