The 52nd American Music Awards landed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Memorial Day, Queen Latifah came back to host three decades after her first time at the mic, and the carpet was – how do I put this kindly – a mood swing.
Half recording artists, half reality stars, a heatwave’s worth of sheer fabric, and one Olympic gold medalist who showed up dressed like she fronts a metal band. And yes, before you ask: BTS were THERE. The boys returned to an awards stage for the first time in four years, opened the night with “Hooligan,” and walked away with Artist of the Year for the second time. I screamed. We’re all fine. Moving on to the clothes.
Here are the 10 looks that turned the Vegas carpet into something worth talking about – counting down to my best dressed of the night.
10. KATSEYE in McQueen
The girls made their AMAs performance debut (emerging from a giant boombox teddy bear, because of course they did), won New Artist of the Year, and shouted out BTS as their blueprint while accepting it. All five pulled from McQueen’s Spring 2026 collection, finished with TACORI jewelry.
Embed from Getty ImagesHere’s my one note: sharing a single collection should have read as cohesive, and instead it read like five girls who got dressed for five different events. But individually? Several of these absolutely landed, and on a carpet this scattered, a girl group that performed, won, AND committed to a directional house earns the spot.
9. Nikki Glaser in Maria Lucia Hohan
Comedy’s busiest woman pulled up as a presenter – she’s the one who handed Sombr his Best Rock/Alternative Song trophy – and proved she can roast a room AND a red carpet.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Maria Lucia Hohan gown came in silver satin with a corset-style bodice, sharp side cutouts, and a thigh-high slit doing real work, finished with pointed black heels and long blonde waves. It’s the rare “hosting energy” look that didn’t play it safe. Glamorous, a little dangerous, fully in on the joke.
8. EJAE in Mugler
The voice behind HUNTR/X’s “Golden” stepped out from behind the soundtrack and onto the carpet, and she went the opposite direction of every sheer dress in Vegas. This was Mugler Fall 2026: an olive-green draped gown with the kind of architectural shoulders that announce themselves, a long trailing scarf detail, and – the part I keep thinking about – midnight-blue opera gloves.
Embed from Getty ImagesLapis lazuli and silver earrings, a matching bracelet, white Le Silla pumps to finish. It read autumnal in late May, which is a choice, but I respect anyone who looks at the naked-dress memo and shreds it.
7. Alysa Liu in custom Chrome Hearts
The double Olympic gold medalist came to PRESENT an award and ended up presenting a full thesis on gothic rockstar dressing. Custom Chrome Hearts head to toe: a cropped leather-style jacket with detailed cuffs, a fitted tube top, and a long black skirt with asymmetrical leather pockets and silver hardware.
Embed from Getty ImagesThen she stacked it – layered silver chains with crosses and dagger pendants, silver rings, a diamond cross earring, a spiked black bag, and a temporary spiky bridge piercing for the drama. And because the universe loves The Pink Issue specifically: she did silver embellishments on her manicure to mimic piercings. Nails as hardware. We could cry.
6. Paula Abdul in Michael Costello
A legend does not need to chase a trend, and Paula didn’t. The Michael Costello gown was white and sculptural, with a geometric silver and flesh-toned mermaid skirt that looked engineered rather than sewn – all clean architecture and shine.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn a carpet where half the room defaulted to sheer, the polish and the structure here felt like a power move from someone who has been doing this since before most of the nominees were born.
5. Karol G in Natalia Fedner
Our reigning Latin queen – who took home Best Latin Album for Tropicoqueta, collected the International Artist Award of Excellence, AND performed – switched up her usual register and I was so into it. The Natalia Fedner look paired a gothic-leaning knitted top, cut to expose the torso and layered over a triangle bra, with a dramatic voluminous black maxi skirt.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt felt raw and a little undone in the best way, with real edge and attitude, instead of another variation on the bombshell formula we know she can do in her sleep. A genuine switch-up from a girl having the night of her life.
4. Teyana Taylor in Balenciaga
A romantic red carpet moment was a plot twist from Teyana. The Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2026 gown came in a saturated purple chiffon with a draped one-shoulder silhouette and trailing panels that moved beautifully – softer and more lovestruck than her usual razor-sharp directional swings.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe snakeskin pumps were the little dose of danger keeping it from going full fairy tale. She performed with Missy Elliott the same night, so the woman was simply running Vegas.
3. Tinashe in Blumarine
If everyone was going to do the naked dress, somebody had to do it right, and Tinashe volunteered as tribute. The Blumarine gown was sheer off-the-shoulder white lace – delicate, romantic, and far more considered than the dozen see-through looks it shared the carpet with.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe difference between sheer-as-shock-value and sheer-as-actual-design is enormous, and she landed firmly on the right side of it. Lace done like lingerie couture instead of an Instagram dare.
2. Sombr in custom Valentino
Rock stars used to mean leather jackets and ripped jeans. Sombr – fresh off a three-trophy night, including Best Rock/Alternative Album and Best Rock/Alternative Song for “Back to Friends” – keeps rewriting that into something far more couture.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe custom Valentino look layered floral embellishments over a plunging black top with pleated trousers and his signature sunglasses, and yes, the internet immediately decided he looked like a grown-up Harry Potter. I say let the boy have his wizard-rockstar era. He sold every inch of it, he brought his mom as his date, and he is single-handedly making rock fashion interesting again.
1. Hilary Duff in Rabanne
The Lizzie McGuire of it all. Hilary returned to the AMAs for the first time in roughly two decades – riding the wave of her actual music comeback and her “Small Rooms, Big Nerves” tour – and she did it in a Rabanne chainmail gown that turned her into a walking disco ball in the best way.
Embed from Getty ImagesLiquid silver metal mesh, a sweetheart neckline, a short slit, and matching open-toe silver stilettos peeking out the bottom. Fashion-nerd footnote: this same Rabanne gown had a previous life on Ella Purnell at the 2024 Emmys, and Hilary made it feel brand new. Twenty years away and she walked back in like she never left and immediately became the best dressed in the building. Iconic behavior. My number one.
Honorable Mentions
Maluma in BOSS – The grey suit I did not expect to clock. BOSS Fall 2026, an ’80s-inspired relaxed double-breasted cut with a paisley-print tie and a dark accent at the lapel. Grey tailoring usually puts me to sleep, but the details here had enough personality to keep me awake. A left-field choice that somehow worked.
Embed from Getty ImagesQueen Latifah in Christian Siriano – The host arrived in a full-length white shearling coat from Christian Siriano Fall 2026 over a tonal look, and bless her, it’s December outerwear at a late-spring Vegas awards show. Dramatic? Yes. Weather-appropriate? Absolutely not.
Embed from Getty ImagesRei Ami in Roberto Cavalli – The other half of HUNTR/X’s vocals turned 21 ON the night and captioned her look “gemini baby at the @amas,” which is exactly the birthday-girl energy you want. Roberto Cavalli for the occasion. A milestone and a moment.
Embed from Getty ImagesFergie – She kept it sleek in a fitted metallic grey mini, black gloves, dark sunglasses, and strappy black heels – the kind of edgy, throwback-cool look that says she never actually went anywhere.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe verdict: a messy, sweaty, gloriously unpredictable Vegas carpet that gave us chainmail, gothic knitwear, opera gloves, a figure skater in spikes, and Sombr’s wizard-couture renaissance – plus BTS reminding everyone exactly whose night it was. See you on the next one.