BTS Sets 2026 AMAs Special Appearance, Karol G Honored
karol g shares the spotlight with BTS at the 52nd American Music Awards on May 25, 2026, as CBS and Dick Clark Productions add a special appearance from the 11-time American Music Award winners. The show airs live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 8:00 PM ET.
May 25 at MGM Grand
The appearance gives BTS another AMAs moment four years after their U.S. television performance debut at the 2017 American Music Awards, when they became the first Korean group to perform on the show. Their return lands on Memorial Day, Monday, and on a stage that the broadcast describes as the largest venue in the show’s history.
Queen Latifah will host the 52nd American Music Awards, which also includes KAROL G receiving the International Artist Award of Excellence and Darius Rucker receiving the Veterans Voice Award Presented by USAA’s Honor Through Action. The show will air on CBS and Paramount+ at 5:00 PM PT, putting the live telecast across broadcast and streaming at the same time.
BTS and the AMAs field
BTS enter with three nominations: Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer, and Best Male K-Pop Artist. That keeps them in the competition even as the special appearance spot gives the broadcast a separate draw, with fan voting already closed for every category except Social Song of the Year and Tour of the Year.
The AMAs still have one live voting wrinkle left. Voting for Social Song of the Year and Tour of the Year stays open through the first 30 minutes of the broadcast, so viewers who want to weigh in still have a short window once the show starts. The rest of the field is set, which makes the May 25 telecast more of a finish line than an announcement cycle.
What viewers get next
Expect the broadcast to trade on legacy and live turnout: BTS brings a four-year return, KAROL G adds an awards presentation draw, and Queen Latifah anchors the proceedings from Las Vegas. For viewers, the practical move is simple — tune in at 8:00 PM ET if they want the live special, or use the opening half hour if they still plan to vote in the remaining categories.
