Taylor Swift watched from afar as the 2026 American Music Awards played out without her on Monday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas—despite leading the pack with eight nominations.
Taylor Swift’s name sat at the top of the 2026 American Music Awards nominations list, but her seat in Las Vegas stayed empty.
The pop superstar, 36, skipped the Monday, May 25 awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, celebrating from afar as the ceremony moved forward without her.
Swift leads the pack of AMAs nominees this year. She earned eight nods. including Artist of the Year. Best Female Pop Artist. Album of the Year. and Best Pop Album for The Life of a Showgirl. Her run also includes Song of the Year. Best Music Video. and Best Pop Song for “The Fate of Ophelia. ” plus Song of the Summer for “Elizabeth Taylor.”.
Before the ceremony even began, Swift’s standing was already historic. She was the most-awarded artist in AMAs history, with a record-breaking 40 wins throughout her career.
The timing comes as Swift has been keeping active across awards season and personal life at the same time. Two months before the AMAs. she attended the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards. where she collected seven trophies—Artist of the Year. Album of the Year. and Pop Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl. along with Pop Song of the Year. Best Lyrics. and Best Music Video for “The Fate of Ophelia. ” plus Favorite Tour Style for The Eras Tour.
At iHeartRadio, Swift was joined by her fiancé, Travis Kelce, marking the couple’s first time attending an awards show together since they began dating in the summer of 2023. In her acceptance speech for Best Pop Album, Swift credited Kelce during the moment.
“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,” she gushed. “So, thanks for the vibes.”
More recently, Swift and Kelce have been seen on various dates this month. They’ve held hands while out for dinner in London and New York City, and they’ve attended friends’ weddings in the Big Apple and Greece.
While the AMAs stage came and went without Swift. the focus behind the scenes continues to tilt toward what’s next for the couple. Swift and Kelce are preparing for their own nuptials after getting engaged in August 2025. A source told Us Weekly in April that both are “involved and making decisions together. ” adding that they’ve been “focused on actually enjoying the process rather than getting caught up in the pressure” amid the countdown to their summer wedding date. The same insider said they’re “keeping things light.”.
“Travis and Taylor have both been very laid back,” the insider revealed, adding that Swift “thinks it’s cute that Travis cares about a lot of the details” for their big day. “They’ve made a conscious decision not to let it cause any tension between them.”
The wedding is expected to include “classic touches,” with Taylor’s dad walking her down the aisle, along with father-daughter and mother-son dances. A second source said, “Taylor loves those emotional, meaningful moments, and Travis [is] on the same page.”
Taylor Swift 2026 American Music Awards AMAs nominations Travis Kelce MGM Grand Garden Arena The Life of a Showgirl The Fate of Ophelia Elizabeth Taylor Song of the Summer Artist of the Year