Taylor Swift misses awards at 2026 AMAs after leading nominations

Artist of the Year award went to BTS, marking another major achievement for the group.

Taylor Swift led the nominations at the 2026 American Music Awards with eight nominations but left the ceremony without winning any award after her record breaking 40 AMA wins. 

The event took place at the MGM grand garden arena in Las Vegas, where several major winners were announced across pop and global music categories. Swift did not attend the show, despite being nominated in top categories including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

The Artist of the Year award went to BTS, marking another major achievement for the group. Other categories also saw different winners, including HUNTR/X’s EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, who won Song of the Year for “Golden.” In the pop category, Sabrina Carpenter won both best female pop artist and best pop album for her project “Man’s Best Friend.”

Swift also missed out on several other awards, including Song of the Summer and Best Music Video. Her songs “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Elizabeth Taylor” were nominated but did not win in their categories. The music video award went to KATSEYE’s “Gnarly,” while BTS also picked up another win for “SWIM.”

Reports suggest Swift skipped the AMA’s event because she is currently in New York City. Reports say she is spending time with fiance Travis Kelce while preparing for their upcoming wedding.

The couple has been seen attending events and spending time together in recent weeks. Although wedding details remain private, speculation continues about future plans, while Swift stays focused on personal life and upcoming commitments.