Ten of the music industry’s biggest names went head-to-head within the Artist of the 12 months category on the 2026 American Music Awards.
K-pop boy band BTS ultimately won the accolade throughout the Monday, May 25, ceremony on the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, as presented by rapper Busta Rhymes.
“ARMYs, we made it once more. Thanks, it’s an honor to have this precious award once more after everybody’s done their military service,” RM said. “Just like the legendary Busta Rhymes said, it’s fan voted award so our biggest thanks and gratitude as all the time goes to the ARMYs all around the world that stood by us for the past 13 years, thanks a lot.”
The opposite nominees within the Artist of the 12 months category were Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Throughout the course of her profession, Swift, 36, has won Artist of the 12 months on the AMAs seven times — in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 — and racked up 11 nominations within the category. Bieber, 32, is the one other nominee this yr who has earned the accolade multiple times, with two previous wins in 2010 and 2012 and five total nods.
Two other contenders have won Artist of the 12 months once previously: Mars in 2017 and BTS in 2021. The “I Just Might” crooner, 40, has been nominated for the award 3 times, while the boy band has been up for the consideration twice.
As for the remaining nominees, Gaga, 40, has been nominated for Artist of the 12 months 4 times, and Lamar, 38, has three nods within the category. Bad Bunny, 32, Styles, 32, Wallen, 33, and Carpenter, 27, have all received two nominations each.
On the 2026 awards show, Swift led the pack of nominees. Along with Artist of the 12 months, her eight nods included Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the 12 months and Best Pop Album for The Lifetime of a Showgirl, Song of the 12 months, Best Music Video and Best Pop Song for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Song of the Summer for “Elizabeth Taylor.”
Carpenter and Wallen trailed closely behind with seven nominations each. She was up for Artist of the 12 months, Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the 12 months and Best Pop Album for Man’s Best Friend and Song of the 12 months, Best Music Video and Best Pop Song for “Manchild.” He was within the running for Artist of the 12 months, Best Male Country Artist, Album of the 12 months and Best Country Album for I’m the Problem, Song of the 12 months for “I’m the Problem,” Collaboration of the 12 months for “What I Want” with Tate McRae and Best Country Song for “Just in Case.”
For her part, Gaga landed six nods for Artist of the 12 months, Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the 12 months and Best Pop Album for Mayhem, Best Vocal Performance for “Abracadabra” and Tour of the 12 months for The Mayhem Ball.
With 4 nominations each, Mars vied for Artist of the 12 months, Best Male R&B Artist, Best R&B Song for “I Just Might” and Best R&B Album for The Romantic, while Bieber contended for Artist of the 12 months, Album of the 12 months and Best R&B Album for Swag and Best Male Pop Artist.
Bad Bunny, BTS, Styles and Lamar all received three nods, including Artist of the 12 months. As for his or her other nominations, Bad Bunny was up for Best Male Latin Artist and Best Latin Song for “Nuevayol,” BTS was in contention for Song of the Summer for “Swim” and Best Male K-Pop Artist, Styles was competing for Song of the Summer for “American Girls” and Best Male Pop Artist and Lamar was within the running for Tour of the 12 months for his and SZA’s Grand National Tour and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist.