AMAs fans fume over lacklustre show as none of the most nominated artists show up for ceremony

Fans hoping for a glimpse of their favourite music artists at this year’s American Music Awards were left less than impressed during Monday night’s ceremony after it emerged that none of the most nominated artists were actually present at the event at all.

Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Morgan Wallen and Alex Warren were all among the most nominated artists at the 2026 #AMAs, yet as the red carpet and show soon revealed, none of them were able to make it.

With such a pared back guest list, it was easy to see why music fans could be frustrated, particularly when so many of the people up for awards weren’t even in the room.

The mass absence leaves a staggering void at the center of the fan-voted ceremony.

Pop powerhouse Taylor Swift entered Monday night leading the charge with a whopping eight nominations on the back of her chart-dominating album The Life of a Showgirl.

Close behind her were Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, and country giant Morgan Wallen, who each scored seven nods apiece.

With the bulk of the night’s premier categories heavily featuring artists who chose to skip the trip to Las Vegas, viewers were left watching a high-stakes awards race with no one at the starting line.

It didn't take long for frustration to boil over on social media, with the hashtag #AMAs quickly filling with exasperated viewers questioning the point of the broadcast.

Sabrina Carpenter, pictured here at the 2022 show, was notably absent this year (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

"Why am I staying up to watch an awards show when half of my faves aren’t even there?” questioned one disappointed fan.

Others called out the event's ‘empty energy’ noting that the lack of A-list star power on the red carpet set a grim, deflated tone for the rest of the evening.

In a desperate bid to keep the energy alive at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the broadcast has had to lean heavily on legacy acts and its host, Queen Latifah—who returned to the AMAs stage 31 years after she first hosted the show in 1995.

While live performances from punk legend Billy Idol (receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award) and legacy pop groups like The Pussycat Dolls and New Kids on the Block, did help to soften the blow, they did little to quiet the complaints from younger fans desperate to see today's biggest chart-toppers.

Taylor Swift, again, pictured here in 2022, was also a no-show at the event (Sarah Morris/FilmMagic)

Tonight’s ghost-town turnout highlights a growing and worrying trend for major music ceremonies, which are increasingly struggling to convince top-tier talent to show up in person.

For the AMAs—a ceremony built entirely on public interaction and fan investment—having its biggest draws treat the event as an optional afterthought might just be the most damaging critique of all.

2026 AMAs nominations:

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny
• Bruno Mars
• BTS
• Harry Styles
• Justin Bieber
• Kendrick Lamar
• Lady Gaga
• Morgan Wallen
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Taylor Swift

Album of the Year

• Cardi B - AM I THE DRAMA?
• Fuerza Regida – 111xpantia
• Justin Bieber – SWAG
• Lady Gaga – Mayhem
• Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem
• Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
• Playboi Carti – MUSIC
• Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
• Tate McRae – So Close To What
• Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl

Song of the Year

• Alex Warren - 'Ordinary'
• Ella Langley - 'Choosin' Texas'
• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami - 'Golden'
• Kehlani - 'Folded'
• Leon Thomas - 'MUTT'
• Morgan Wallen - 'I’m The Problem'
• Olivia Dean - 'Man I Need'
• Sabrina Carpenter - 'Manchild'
• SOMBR - 'back to friends'
• Taylor Swift - 'The Fate of Ophelia'