CBS has secured a five-year deal with Dick Clark Productions (DCP) to broadcast the American Music Awards (AMAs) on CBS and stream live on Paramount+, starting with the 2026 ceremony and continuing through 2030.
The agreement follows the success of the 2025 AMAs, which aired on May 26, 2025, hosted by Jennifer Lopez at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The 2025 broadcast drew over 10 million unique viewers across its CBS premiere and encores on MTV, CMT, and BET, marking a 38% increase over the 2022 ABC airing and the largest AMA audience since 2019.
The event featured performances by artists like Janet Jackson, who received the Icon Award, Rod Stewart, honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and others including Alex Warren, Becky G, Benson Boone, and Lainey Wilson.
A 50th anniversary special aired on October 6, 2024, reaching 6.1 million viewers, setting the stage for the 2025 return. The 2026 AMAs will again take place in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend, continuing the spring scheduling shift from its traditional fall slot.
This move helps CBS fill a gap as the Grammys, a CBS staple since 1973, transition to Disney/ABC in 2027. The AMAs remain the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, with nominees based on fan engagement metrics like streaming, sales, and airplay tracked by Billboard and Luminate.