52nd AMAs Pivot to Nostalgia With Queen Latifah, Pussycat Dolls

Queen Latifah, right, poses with partner Eboni Nichols, their son, Rebel, and Kaavia on the red carpet before the 52nd American Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday. Latifah hosted a show built around millennial-era nostalgia and legacy collaborations. (Photo Credit: Dick Clark Productions)

The 52nd Annual American Music Awards transformed the MGM Grand Garden Arena into a celebration of millennial nostalgia on Memorial Day, proving the enduring influence of 1990s and 2000s urban contemporary music.

Rap pioneer and actress Queen Latifah returned to anchor the live CBS and Paramount+ broadcast as the solo host, 31 years after she first co-hosted the event in 1995.

The telecast served as a proving ground for the lasting power of millennial anthems, expanding its lineup to feature major legacy collaborations. The Pussycat Dolls made a highly anticipated return to the stage, performing alongside veteran artist Busta Rhymes. Nostalgia continued to rule the broadcast with appearances by foundational pop and R&B figures, including a performance from Teyana Taylor.

Acknowledging the cultural dominance of legacy acts, the AMAs introduced 12 new categories this year, including Best Throwback Song. The inaugural award in that category went to the Black Eyed Peas for their hit “Rock That Body.”

While the veterans provided the night’s foundation, modern stars heavily influenced by the 1990s and 2000s dominated the hip-hop award categories. Cardi B swept the block, taking home Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Best Hip-Hop Song for “ErrTime” and Best Hip-Hop Album for “AM I THE DRAMA?”. Kendrick Lamar took home the trophy for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, while Monaleo secured Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist.

Bruno Mars mirrored that dominance in the R&B categories with wins for Best Male R&B Artist, Best R&B Song for “I Just Might” and Best R&B Album for “The Romantic.” The R&B genre also saw major victories for SZA, who won Best Female R&B Artist, and Leon Thomas, who secured Breakthrough R&B Artist. Tyla dominated the Afrobeats and social categories, winning Best Afrobeats Artist and Social Song of the Year for “CHANEL.”

The night’s highest overall honors belonged to a mix of global superstars and rising talent. BTS claimed the coveted Artist of the Year award, as well as Song of the Summer for “SWIM” and Best Male K-Pop Artist. Breakout group KATSEYE claimed New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist and Best Music Video for “Gnarly.”

Additionally, Karol G took home Best Latin Album for “Tropicoqueta” and was presented with the rare International Artist Award of Excellence by John Legend.

To view the full list of the night's winners click here.