2026 AMAs live updates: Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie bring the throwbacks while Karol G and Sombr own the moment
Yahoo • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Karol G was honored with the International Artist Award of Excellence at the AMAs, becoming the first Latina to headline Coachella, and also won Best Latin Album, receiving two trophies presented by John Legend.
- Queen Latifah hosted the 52nd American Music Awards, opening the show with BTS's streamed performance and highlighting the group's return after their military hiatus with three nominations.
- Rising artist Sombr won Best Rock/Alternative Song for "Back to Friends" and delivered a dramatic debut AMA performance of "Homewrecker," introduced by Linda Perry.
- Lisa Rinna expressed skepticism about reality star Spencer Pratt's bid for Los Angeles mayor, stating on the AMAs red carpet that reality stars don't belong in City Hall.
- The AMAs red carpet featured lively interactions among stars including Karol G, Maluma, Paula Abdul, and Billy Idol, with Idol expressing surprise and delight that his song "Dancing With Myself" is popular with Gen Z audiences.