05/13/26
KAROL G to Receive the International Artist Award of Excellence
KAROL G to Receive the International Artist Award of Excellence and Perform at the 52nd American Music Awards
Queen Latifah Will Host The Star-Studded Annual Special, Which Airs Live on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT on CBS and Paramount+
Los Angeles, CA – May 13, 2026 – Today, CBS and , the world’s largest owner and producer of televised live event entertainment programming, announced that groundbreaking global music superstar and American Music Award winner KAROL G will receive the International Artist Award of Excellence and perform at (AMAs). This honor, last awarded to Whitney Houston in 2009, recognizes an artist whose music and cultural influence has resonated globally, inspiring and impacting audiences around the world. Previous recipients include Aerosmith, Bee Gees, Beyoncé, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, and Rod Stewart.
There are artists who make history and there are artists who change culture, KAROL G has done both. In April 2026, she made history as the first Latina artist to headline Coachella, delivering what critics and fans alike described as a generational moment for Latin music and culture. Her current “Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour” sold over 2 million tickets in just four days, expanding from 39 to 63 confirmed stadium shows worldwide, with multiple cities adding second, third and fourth nights due to overwhelming demand, cementing her position as one of the most in-demand live artists in the world today. The tour supports her 2025 album “Tropicoqueta,” which earned her three AMA nominations this year, including Best Latin Album.
With more than 128 billion career streams, over 310 RIAA Platinum certifications in the U.S., and as the only female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album, KAROL G has become one of the most decorated and streamed female artists in the world. Her groundbreaking 2023 album MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO made history as the first Spanish-language album by a woman to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She then headlined the “Mañana Será Bonito Tour” — a multi-continent run across stadiums and arenas worldwide that sold over 2.3 million tickets across 62 shows and grossed over $300 million.
“KAROL G has redefined what it means to be a global artist. Through her authenticity, groundbreaking achievements, and powerful connection with fans around the world, she has helped bring Latin music to unprecedented heights,” said executive producers Barry Adelman, EVP, Television, and Alexi Mazareas, SVP, Programming & Development, Dick Clark Productions. “We are proud to honor KAROL G with the International Artist Award of Excellence for her extraordinary impact on music and culture worldwide.”
The star-studded special will kick off summer with host Queen Latifah live from the world-renowned MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the largest venue in the show’s history, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. The show will air live coast to coast on CBS Television Network and Paramount+* at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT, and feature performances from Hootie & the Blowfish, KATSEYE, Keith Urban, Maluma, Riley Green, SOMBR, Teddy Swims, Teyana Taylor, and Twenty One Pilots, with more to be announced soon. Tickets for the star-studded must-see show are now available on
As one of music’s most anticipated nights of the year, the 52nd American Music Awards returns to CBS and Paramount+* to honor the most influential artists and songs of today alongside unforgettable performances and special moments in a multi-genre, cross-generational celebration of music.
Nominations for the 52nd American Music Awards were announced last month. Taylor Swift leads with eight nominations, followed by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, and SOMBR with seven each. Fan voting has concluded for all awards other than Social Song of the Year and Tour of the Year, which will remain open through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast. Fans can vote for these two awards via and the Instagram profile.
This Memorial Day, the American Music Awards is proud to spotlight our nation’s heroes and help amplify the vital work being done in support of the veteran community, honoring the enduring spirit of service in partnership with leading Military and Veterans Service Organizations – Blue Star Families, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Easy Day Foundation, Fisher House Foundation, Gary Sinise Foundation, Invictus Games Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Semper Fi & America’s Fund, Team Rubicon, and the USO. To learn more, visit .
Additional details, including more performers, presenters, and special honorees for the 52nd AMAs will be announced in the coming weeks.
About the American Music Awards:
- Celebrating the year’s most iconic music, the American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted award show, honoring today’s most influential artists and their passionate fanbases.
- Created by legendary producer and visionary Dick Clark and first awarded in 1974, the American Music Awards is known for delivering half a century worth of iconic performances and enduring moments that have defined and shaped pop culture, as well as a history of introducing audiences to breakthrough artists.
- One of 2025’s most-watched television specials according to Nielsen, last year’s top-rated 51st American Music Awards reached over 10 million unique viewers across its CBS and Paramount+ premiere on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, and encores on MTV, CMT, and BET. The CBS broadcast marked the show’s largest audience since 2019 with a +38% increase over its last live airing in 2022 on ABC.
- Airing for the first time on Memorial Day, the 2025 AMAs kicked off summer with host Jennifer Lopez, who returned to host a decade after her AMAs . She opened the 51st American Music Awards in spectacular fashion, . Performances included ICON Award recipient Janet Jackson; Alex Warren, Becky G and Manuel Turizo, Benson Boone, Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson, Reneé Rapp, and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Rod Stewart.
- The American Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions.
For the latest news, exclusive content, and updates, follow the AMAs:
Hashtag: #AMAs
About Paramount, a Skydance Corporation
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY) is a leading, next‐generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct‐to‐Consumer, and TV Media. The Company’s portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS – America’s most‐watched broadcast network, CBS News, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Skydance’s Animation, Film, Television, Interactive/Games, and Sports divisions. For more information please visit
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About Dick Clark Productions
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest owner and producer of televised live event entertainment programming including “The Golden Globes,” the largest awards show in the world to celebrate the best of film, television and podcasting, “American Music Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” the No. 1 entertainment special in America, “Golden Eve,” “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Rising Stars of Country Music,” Emmy®-winning series “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “American Bandstand,” the iconic and groundbreaking cultural phenomenon that defined a generation. Dick Clark Productions also possesses one of the world’s most extensive and unique entertainment archive libraries with more than 60 years of award-winning shows, historic specials, performances, and legendary programming. Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Corporation. For more information, please visit
About MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, the Latin GRAMMY Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.
*Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.
