52nd American Music Awards Spotlight 11 Designer Shoe Looks in Las Vegas

Q: Did Taylor Swift's record-breaking dominance continue against a field of new nominees?

No. Taylor Swift entered the 2026 American Music Awards as the top nominee with eight nods and already held the all-time AMA record with 40 wins, but her dominance did not carry over into this year’s results. According to the reported winners, Swift was shut out despite competing in major categories including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Artist, Best Pop Song, Best Pop Album, Best Music Video and Song of the Summer. Those awards instead went to other artists, including Bad Bunny, Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Alex Warren and KATSEYE. That outcome is especially notable because the field included several newer or first-time nominees such as Alex Warren, KATSEYE and Teyana Taylor, alongside rising contenders like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean and sombr. Alex Warren and KATSEYE, in particular, broke through in categories where Swift had been nominated, showing that newer names made significant gains against an established AMA powerhouse. The broader results also underscored how competitive the field was. Morgan Wallen, who matched several top contenders with seven nominations, also finished the night without a win, prompting backlash from fans online. In short, while Swift remained the night’s most prominent nominee on paper, the 2026 AMAs reflected a shift toward a more distributed winners’ circle rather than another Swift sweep.

Q: Why did country's biggest star leave the fan-voted AMAs completely empty-handed?

Morgan Wallen appears to have left the 2026 American Music Awards without a win simply because fans voted for other artists in every category where he was nominated. The AMAs are entirely fan-voted, and Wallen, despite being one of the night’s top nominees with seven nods, was beaten out across the board. He was nominated for major awards including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Male Country Artist, Best Country Song, Best Country Album, and Collaboration of the Year, but the available results indicate he did not top any of those fan ballots. That outcome stood out because Wallen remains one of the most commercially dominant figures in country music. He came into the show with major chart success, a 4x Platinum album in “I’m the Problem,” and a stadium-level touring profile. His empty-handed finish therefore looked less like a lack of popularity overall and more like a mismatch between broad commercial success and the specific voting dynamics of a fan-driven awards show. There is no confirmed evidence in the available reporting of a single specific reason beyond the vote itself. He was also not in attendance, but there is no indication that his absence affected eligibility. The clearest explanation is that, in a highly competitive field led by artists such as Taylor Swift and others with strong fan mobilization, Wallen did not receive enough votes to convert his nominations into wins.

3 articles · Updated · WWD · May 26

May 25’s AMAs at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena turned into a footwear showcase, with stars from Teyana Taylor to Fergie wearing standout designer pairs on the carpet and stage.
Christian Louboutin, Larroudé, Paris Texas, Steve Madden, Tom Ford and Giuseppe Zanotti were among the labels identified, spanning python pumps, metallic mule sandals, maroon sneakers and embellished slingbacks.
Several looks leaned custom or archival: Mariah the Scientist wore a custom Paris Texas mule, Steve Aoki appeared in custom-painted Timberland boots, and Bebe Rexha wore Vicini scorpion sandals tied to a 2015 silhouette.
The shoe focus extended across generations and roles at the 52nd AMAs, from Kaavia James Union Wade’s Thom Browne brogues to Fergie’s Rick Owens platform sandals as she accepted Best Throwback Song.