Taylor Swift Leads 2026 AMAs in Nominations, Then Skips the Show
Taylor Swift was a no-show in Las Vegas but still the night’s main event, topping the 2026 American Music Awards with eight nominations — including Artist of the Year — as the MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd celebrated without her.
Taylor Swift did not bother with the 2026 American Music Awards on Monday night, but she still owned the conversation. She skipped the show entirely, watched her nominations from afar, and somehow managed to be the main character anyway. Classic.
Swift led the AMAs without even showing up
The ceremony went down Monday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Swift, 36, was a no-show, but she led the field with eight nominations and, honestly, none of that is surprising at this point. She already held the AMAs all-time record going into the night with 40 wins across her career.
- Artist of the Year
- Best Female Pop Artist
- Album of the Year: 'The Life of a Showgirl'
- Best Pop Album: 'The Life of a Showgirl'
- Song of the Year: 'The Fate of Ophelia'
- Best Music Video: 'The Fate of Ophelia'
- Best Pop Song: 'The Fate of Ophelia'
- Song of the Summer: 'Elizabeth Taylor' (the song, not the actress)
Meanwhile, she already cleaned up at iHeartRadio
Two months before the AMAs, Swift rolled into the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards and left with seven trophies: Artist of the Year; Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year for 'The Life of a Showgirl'; Pop Song of the Year, Best Lyrics, and Best Music Video for 'The Fate of Ophelia'; plus Favorite Tour Style for The Eras Tour. Yes, seven. Yes, in one night.
That show doubled as a relationship milestone: it was the first awards event she and her fiance, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (also 36), attended together since they started dating in summer 2023. During her Best Pop Album speech, she nodded to him with a very on-brand line:
'This album probably also feels very happy and confident and free because that's the way that I get to feel every single day of my life because of my fiance, who is here tonight. So, thanks for the vibes.'
Out and about this month
In May, Swift and Kelce were spotted doing the normal-famous-couple circuit: holding hands on dinner dates in London and New York City, and hitting friends' weddings in NYC and Greece. Busy, but in the good way.
Wedding plans: traditional, on purpose
Post-engagement (they got engaged in August 2025 ), the two are actively planning a summer wedding. According to Us Weekly sources in April, they're both involved in the decisions and are deliberately keeping the process low-pressure. The upside is more time together, and apparently Swift thinks it's cute that Kelce cares about the details. They've also agreed not to let planning turn into a stress test for the relationship.
Expect a traditional setup with classic touches: her dad walking her down the aisle, a father-daughter dance, and a mother- son dance. Per another source, Swift loves the emotional, meaningful stuff, and Kelce is fully aligned.