American Music Awards May 25 host

Queen Latifah will host the 52nd American Music Awards on Monday, May 25, when the fan-voted show returns to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a live CBS broadcast. CBS and Dick Clark Productions announced the booking in April, saying the ceremony will air live coast-to-coast at 8 p.m. ET/PT and stream on Paramount+ for eligible subscribers. The show is scheduled for Memorial Day, continuing the awards program’s recent move to the holiday slot. Queen Latifah previously co-hosted the AMAs in 1995, according to CBS and the AMAs. ### When does the show start, and where can people watch it? Monday, May 25 is the air date for the 2026 AMAs, and CBS said the telecast begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT from Las Vegas. Paramount+ said live streaming is available through its Premium plan, while on-demand viewing will be available the next day on Paramount+ plans more broadly. (paramountpressexpress.com) Samsung TV Plus will carry BillboardTV’s red-carpet coverage ahead of the ceremony, according to pre-show rundowns cited by entertainment outlets. The venue is MGM Grand Garden Arena, which the AMAs said is the largest venue in the show’s history. ### Why is Queen Latifah the host in this cycle? (paramountpressexpress.com) April 6 was the date CBS and Dick Clark Productions disclosed Queen Latifah as host, describing the booking as a return 30 years after her AMAs hosting debut. In a statement carried by CBS and trade outlets, Queen Latifah said she was “so excited” to return to the AMAs stage and called Las Vegas the right place to celebrate a strong year for music. (yahoo.com) Deadline, Variety and the official AMAs site all matched on the core details: Queen Latifah will emcee the 52nd edition, produced by Dick Clark Productions, on Memorial Day. Dick Clark Productions is the producer of the show, and CBS is the broadcast partner. ### Which performers and presenters have been announced? (paramountpressexpress.com) May 7 was the date CBS and Dick Clark Productions announced an initial wave of performers including Hootie & the Blowfish, KATSEYE, Keith Urban, Maluma, Riley Green, sombr, Teddy Swims and Twenty One Pilots. The AMAs later expanded the lineup, and Billboard’s pre-show list said the ceremony would feature a mix of current chart acts and legacy names. (deadline.com) Billboard’s rundown of performers and presenters said the presenter slate includes names from music, film, sports and comedy, reflecting the show’s cross-category format. Separate coverage also said Karol G is set to receive the international artist award of excellence during the broadcast. (theamas.com) ### Who enters the night with the strongest awards position? Taylor Swift leads the 2026 nominations with eight, according to entertainment coverage ahead of the show. Pre-show reports also listed Sabrina Carpenter, Morgan Wallen and other major nominees among the artists competing in top categories. (billboard.com) The AMAs describe themselves as a fan-voted awards show, and the 2026 ceremony is the 52nd edition. That framing has been central to CBS, Paramount+ and AMAs promotional material ahead of Monday’s telecast. ### What happens next once Monday arrives? MGM Grand Garden Arena will host the live ceremony on Monday, May 25, with CBS carrying the show at 8 p.m. (aol.com) ET/PT and Paramount+ Premium offering the live stream. BillboardTV’s red-carpet coverage is scheduled ahead of the telecast on Samsung TV Plus, and Paramount+ said on-demand streaming follows on Tuesday, May 26. (paramountpressexpress.com) (paramountplus.com)