Nigeria earns three spots in AMA Afrobeats category as 52nd edition nominations drop

The American Music Awards (AMAs), one of America's most prestigious music honours, has announced the nominees for its 52nd annual edition, and Nigeria is well represented. 

The AMAs, produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974, determines its winners entirely by public vote. Fans decide through the AMAs website and social media, making it one of the few major awards shows where audience power is everything. 

The 52nd ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2026 and will be hosted by Queen Latifah, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 

Leading the overall nominations tally is Taylor Swift with eight, followed closely by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, and sombr with seven each, while Alex Warren and Lady Gaga each earned six.

For Nigeria, in the Afrobeats category, Burna Boy, Rema, and Wizkid have all secured nominations for Best Afrobeats Artist.

They'll face competition from South African star Tyla and Ghanaian-American artist MOLIY. With voting in the hands of the fans, the Nigerian contingent will be counting on their massive global fanbases to bring one of those slots home.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny 

• Bruno Mars 

• BTS

• Harry Styles

• Justin Bieber

• Kendrick Lamar

• Lady Gaga

• Morgan Wallen 

• Sabrina Carpenter

• Taylor Swift 

New Artist of the Year

• Alex Warren

• Ella Langley 

• KATSEYE 

• Leon Thomas

• Olivia Dean 

• sombr

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”

Collaboration of the Year

• BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All The Way”

• David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones And I – “Gone Gone Gone”

• Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae – “What I Want”

• PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”

• Shaboozey, Jelly Roll – “Amen”

• Social Song of the Year

• Disco Lines, Tinashe – “No Broke Boys”

• PinkPantheress – “Illegal”

• Role Model – “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”

• Tyla – “CHANEL”

• Zara Larsson – “Lush Life”

Best Music Video

• KATSEYE – “Gnarly”

• ROSALÍA, Björk, Yves Tumor – “Berghain”

• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

• Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” 

• Tyla – “CHANEL”

• Best Soundtrack

• F1 The Album

• Hazbin Hotel: Season Two

• KPop Demon Hunters 

• Wicked: For Good

• Charli xcx – Wuthering Heights

Tour of the Year

• Beyoncé – “Cowboy Carter Tour”

• Kendrick Lamar, SZA – “Grand National Tour”

• Lady Gaga – “The Mayhem Ball”

• Oasis – “Oasis Live ‘25 Tour”

• Shakira – “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour”

• Breakout Tour

• Benson Boone – “American Heart World Tour”

• Kali Uchis – “The Sincerely, Tour”

• The Marías – “Submarine Tour”

• Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay? Tour”

• Sleep Token – “Even in Arcadia Tour”

Breakthrough Album of the Year

• Olivia Dean – “The Art of Loving”

• sombr – “I Barely Know Her”

• Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”

• Best Throwback Song

• 4 Non Blondes – “What’s Up”

• Black Eyed Peas – “Rock That Body” 

• Goo Goo Dolls – “Iris”

Best Vocal Performance

• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”

• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”

• Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

• RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”

• SIENNA SPIRO – “Die on this Hill”

• Song of the Summer

• Alex Warren – “FEVER DREAM”

• Bella Kay – “iloveitiloveitiloveit”

• BTS – “SWIM”

• Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”

• Harry Styles – “American Girls”

• Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”

• PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – “Stateside”

• sombr – “Homewrecker”

• Tame Impala, JENNIE – “Dracula”

• Taylor Swift – “Elizabeth Taylor”

Best Male Pop Artist

• Alex Warren

• Benson Boone

• Ed Sheeran

• Harry Styles

• Justin Bieber

• Best Female Pop Artist

• Lady Gaga 

• Olivia Dean

• Sabrina Carpenter

• Tate McRae

• Taylor Swift

Breakthrough Pop Artist

• KATSEYE

• SIENNA SPIRO

• Zara Larsson

• Best Pop Song

• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”

• The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”

• Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”

• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

• Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best Pop Album

• Lady Gaga – “Mayhem”

• Olivia Dean – “The Art of Loving” 

• Sabrina Carpenter – “Man’s Best Friend”

• Tate McRae – “So Close To What”

• Taylor Swift – “The Life of a Showgirl”

Best Male Country Artist

• Jelly Roll

• Luke Combs

• Morgan Wallen

• Riley Green

• Shaboozey

Best Female Country Artist

• Ella Langley

• Kelsea Ballerini 

• Lainey Wilson 

• Megan Moroney

• Miranda Lambert

Best Country Duo or Group

• Brooks & Dunn

• Old Dominion

• Rascal Flatts

• Treaty Oak Revival

• Zac Brown Band

Breakthrough Country Artist

• Sam Barber

• Tucker Wetmore

• Zach Top

• Best Country Song

• BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – “All The Way”

• Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”

• Morgan Wallen – “Just In Case”

• Russell Dickerson – “Happen To Me” 

• Shaboozey – “Good News”

Best Country Album

• BigXthaPlug – “I Hope You’re Happy”

• Megan Moroney – “Cloud 9”

• Morgan Wallen – “I’m The Problem”

• Sam Barber – “Restless Mind”

• Tucker Wetmore – “What Not To”

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

• Don Toliver

• Kendrick Lamar

• Playboi Carti

• Tyler, The Creator

• YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

• Cardi B 

• Doechii 

• GloRilla

• Sexyy Red 

• YKNIECE

Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist

• EsDeeKid

• Monaleo

• PLUTO

Best Hip-Hop Song

• Cardi B – “ErrTime”

• Drake – “NOKIA” 

• Gunna, Burna Boy – “wgft”

• Playboi Carti, The Weeknd – “Rather Lie”

• YKNIECE, Quavo, Metro Boomin, Breskii – “Take Me Thru Dere”

Best Hip-Hop Album 

• Cardi B – “AM I THE DRAMA?”

• Don Toliver – “OCTANE”

• Gunna – “The Last Wun”

• Playboi Carti – “MUSIC” 

• YoungBoy Never Broke Again – “MASA”

Best Afrobeats Artist

• Burna Boy

• MOLIY

• Rema 

• Tyla

• Wizkid

Best Male R&B Artist

• Bruno Mars

• Chris Brown 

• Daniel Caesar

• PARTYNEXTDOOR 

• The Weeknd

Best Female R&B Artist

• Kehlani

• Summer Walker

• SZA

• Teyana Taylor 

• Tyla

Breakthrough R&B Artist

• Leon Thomas

• Mariah the Scientist

• Ravyn Lenae

Best R&B Song

• Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”

• Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”

• Kehlani – “Folded”

• Leon Thomas – “MUTT”

• Mariah the Scientist – “BURNING BLUE”

• Best R&B Album

• Bruno Mars – “The Romantic”

• Justin Bieber – “SWAG”

• Leon Thomas – “MUTT”

• Mariah the Scientist – “HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY”

• Summer Walker – “Finally Over It”

Best Male Latin Artist

• Bad Bunny 

• Junior H 

• Peso Pluma

• Rauw Alejandro

• Tito Double P

Best Female Latin Artist

• Gloria Estefan

• KAROL G 

• Natti Natasha

• ROSALÍA

• Shakira

Best Latin Duo or Group

• Clave Especial

• Fuerza Regida

• Grupo Firme 

• Grupo Frontera 

• Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Breakthrough Latin Artist

• Beéle

• Kapo

• Netón Vega

Best Latin Song

• Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL”

• benny blanco, Selena Gomez, The Marías – “Ojos Tristes”

• Fuerza Regida – “Marlboro Rojo”

• Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera – “ME JALO”

• KAROL G – “LATINA FOREVA”

Best Latin Album

• Fuerza Regida – “111xpantia”

• KAROL G – “Tropicoqueta”

• Netón Vega – “Mi Vida Mi Muerte”

• Peso Pluma, Tito Double P – “DINASTÍA”

• ROSALÍA – “Lux”

Best Rock/Alternative Artist

• Deftones

• Linkin Park

• The Marías 

• Sleep Token

• Twenty One Pilots

• Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist

• Geese

• Gigi Perez 

• sombr

Best Rock/Alternative Song

• Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”

• Linkin Park – “Up From The Bottom”

• sombr – “back to friends”

• Sublime – “Ensenada”

• Tame Impala – “Dracula”

Best Rock/Alternative Album

• Sleep Token – “Even In Arcadia”

• sombr – “I Barely Know Her”

• Tame Impala – “Deadbeat” 

• Twenty One Pilots – “Breach”

• Zach Bryan – “With Heaven On Top”

Best Dance/Electronic Artist

• Calvin Harris

• David Guetta

• Fred again..

• ILLENIUM

• John Summit

Best Male K-Pop Artist

• ATEEZ

• BTS

• ENHYPEN

• Stray Kids

• TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Best Female K-Pop Artist

• aespa

• BLACKPINK

• ILLIT

• LE SSERAFIM 

• TWICE

AMERICANA/FOLK CATEGORIES

• Best Americana/Folk Artist

• Lord Huron

• The Lumineers

• Mumford & Sons

• Noah Kahan

• Tyler Childers