Taylor Swift was noticeably absent from the 2026 American Music Awards on Monday night, May 25, even as she led the field with a record-setting number of nominations. The ceremony took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where fans expected to see the global pop star, but multiple reports confirmed she did not attend the event.
Swift, 36, earned eight nominations this year, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Pop Album for The Life of a Showgirl. She was also nominated for Song of the Year, Best Pop Song, and Music Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia," plus Song of the Summer for "Elizabeth Taylor" and Best Female Pop Artist, Yahoo reported.
Her strong showing once again placed her among the most nominated and awarded artists in AMA history.
Despite her absence, Swift's influence at the awards remained significant. Before this year's ceremony, she already held a record 40 American Music Awards wins, making her the most awarded artist in the show's history.
Her continued dominance at major award shows has kept her at the center of pop music conversations, even when she is not in attendance.
Taylor Swift is not at the 2026 American Music Awards, despite being nominated for eight different awards. https://t.co/PKl6it7H0y
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) May 25, 2026
Taylor Swift Focuses on Wedding Plans
Swift's decision to skip the AMAs came shortly after a busy award season. Just two months earlier, she attended the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she won seven trophies. That night was also personal for her, as she appeared with her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, marking one of their first major award show appearances together since they began dating in 2023.
According to US Magazine, during her acceptance speech at that event, Swift spoke warmly about Kelce, saying, "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 fiancé, who is here tonight."
The couple has since been seen spending more time together in public, including dinner dates and attending weddings. Now engaged since August 2025, Swift and Kelce are also planning their upcoming wedding. Sources have said the couple is taking a relaxed approach, focusing on enjoying the process rather than stressing over details.
Swift was last seen at the AMAs in 2022, when she won multiple awards, including Artist of the Year, while she skipped this year's Las Vegas ceremony.
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