How to Watch the 2026 American Music Awards Online for Free

By Jonathan Zavaleta

Jonathan Zavaleta

Contact Jonathan Zavaleta by Email View all posts by Jonathan Zavaleta May 25, 2026

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The 2026 American Music Awards are here, with Queen Latifah returning to emcee the festivities 30 years after her hosting debut. The ceremony will also feature an appearance from BTS, plus performances by Karol G, Billy Idol, Katseye, Sombr, and the Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes. Presenters include EJAE, Paula Abdul, and Nikki Glaser.

At a Glance: How to Watch the 2026 AMAs

• Date, Time: Monday, May 25, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
• Channel: CBS
• Streaming: DirecTV, Paramount+

The ceremony, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is open to the public, with the winners also decided by fan vote. Taylor Swift leads the nominations with eight, while Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sombr each got seven nods.

How to Watch the 2026 American Music Awards

If you’re looking to watch the ceremony live, it airs at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. on CBS. It will also stream live on Paramount+. You can also stream CBS with a free trial to a live TV streaming service like DirecTV. As an over-the-air channel, you can also get CBS for free with an antenna.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

DirecTV

get free trial

DirecTV’s streaming service is available with a five-day free trial, and you can get CBS with any of the streaming packages or the MySports Genre pack. Use the free trial to livestream the American Music Awards online for free.

OFFICIAL STREAM

Paramount+

sign up now

The AMA Awards will stream on Paramount+ which lets you watch a live CBS feed online without cable. You will need the Premium plan, which starts at $13.99/mo. Paramount+ does not have a free trial.

Swift leads the pack after releasing The Life of a Showgirl, her 12th studio album, in October of last year. The album was the bestselling album of the year, globally. Swift is up for Artist of the Year and Best Female Pop Artist, Album of the Year and Best Pop Album for The Life of a Showgirl, Song of the Year, Best Pop Song, and Best Music Video for “The Fate of Ophelia,” and Song of the Summer for “Elizabeth Taylor.”

Other presenters will include figure skating Olympic Gold medalist, Alysa Liu, Anthony Ramos, Hilary Duff, John Legend, and Lisa Rinna. Last year’s AMAs were hosted by Jennifer Lopez from the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, with Billie Eilish picking up seven awards.

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