BTS will make a special appearance at the 52nd American Music Awards (AMAs) 2026, scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. With this special appearance, the group returns to the AMAs stage for the first time since their 2021 appearance, before going on hiatus as the members began their mandatory military service in South Korea.
The 2026 AMAs will broadcast live across the United States on CBS and stream on Paramount+ Premium at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will be able to watch the show on-demand the following day. The ceremony will be broadcast globally across multiple time zones, allowing audiences worldwide to tune in simultaneously. Below is the full regional airing schedule:
BTS returns to AMAs stage with special appearance, 3 nominations
BTS’s appearance at the 52nd American Music Awards came as part of a long-standing AMAs history that began with their U.S. television debut performance in 2017. They performed DNA and became the first K-pop group to appear on the AMAs stage.
Since then, the septet has returned to the AMAs multiple times, building a strong awards legacy that includes 12 AMA wins and making history in 2021 as the first Asian act to win Artist of the Year. The group is returning to the AMAs as both a attendees and a nominated act, continuing their award show history that includes 12 AMA wins and becoming the first Asian act to win Artist of the Year in 2021.
At the 2026 edition, the K-pop boy group has three nominations including Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer, and Best Male K-Pop Artist. In the Artist of the Year category, BTS competes against Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga.
For Song of the Summer, the group’s entry Swim is nominated alongside Dracula (remix) by Jennie of BLACKPINK in collaboration with Tame Impala. The event will also feature multiple K-pop nominations across major categories, alongside global pop artists.
Below is the full lineup of K-pop nominees for the 2026 American Music Awards:
Artist of the Year
Best Soundtrack
Best Vocal Performance
- Golden – HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
Song of the Summer
- Swim – BTS
- Dracula – Tame Impala, JENNIE
Best Pop Song
- Golden – HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
Best Male K-Pop Artist
- ATEEZ
- BTS
- ENHYPEN
- Stray Kids
- TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Best Female K-Pop Artist
- aespa
- BLACKPINK
- ILLIT
- LE SSERAFIM
- TWICE
Voting for the AMAs ran from April 14 to May 8, 2026, through VoteAMAs.com and the official AMAs Instagram account. While most category voting closed, Social Song of the Year and Tour of the Year would remain open for voting during the first 30 minutes of the broadcast.
Edited by Adrija Chakraborty