Categories That Will Be Presented at 2026 American Music Awards: List

The 52nd American Music Awards announced its slate of 50 categories reflecting the ever-evolving music landscape.

There are 14 genre-neutral categories and 36 genre-specific categories. Of those, country and Latin lead, with six categories each; followed by pop, hip-hop and R&B, with five each; rock/alternative, with four; K-pop, with two; and dance/electronic, Afrobeats and Americana/folk, with one each.

This is a far more diverse picture than when Dick Clark created the show in 1974. For the first five years, through 1978, there were just 15 categories – five categories each for pop/rock, soul/R&B and country.

The 52nd American Music Awards returns to CBS and Paramount+ on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which the show’s organizers point out is the largest venue in the show’s history. The show was held in the tiny Earl Carroll Theatre in Hollywood in its first year, before graduating to such larger venues as the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the Shrine Auditorium and the Peacock Theatre. Last year it was held at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Nominations for the 52nd American Music Awards will be announced on Tuesday, April 14. Fan voting opens that same day and will remain open until May 8.

Additional details, including performers, presenters, special honorees, and the ticket on-sale date, will be announced in the coming weeks.

 Here’s the complete list of categories:

The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.