Who has won the most AMA Artist of the Year awards?

Taylor Swift holds the record with seven AMA Artist of the Year wins in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022, per Billboard and official AMA reporting. She is also the only artist to win three consecutive years (2018 through 2020) and leads all-time nominations with 11.

When was AMA Artist of the Year first awarded?

AMA Artist of the Year debuted at the 1996 American Music Awards when Garth Brooks received the most votes but declined on air, and TLC accepted the trophy on his behalf. The category was not presented in 1997, 1998, or 2000 before returning annually from 2001 onward with brief hiatuses in 2023 and 2024.

Who won AMA Artist of the Year in 2026?

BTS won AMA Artist of the Year at the 52nd American Music Awards on May 25, 2026, per the official AMAs press release. It was their second Artist of the Year trophy after their historic 2021 breakthrough as the first K-pop group to claim the category.

How is AMA Artist of the Year different from a Grammy?

AMA Artist of the Year is decided by public fan voting across the AMAs website, app, and social platforms. Grammy winners are chosen by Recording Academy member ballots across genre-specific categories. The same artist can dominate one show and lose the other, which is why USA Celebs maintains separate winners lists for each ceremony.

Why were there no AMA Artist of the Year winners in 2023 or 2024?

The American Music Awards did not hold ceremonies in 2023 or 2024 as producers reformatted the show and shifted to a May calendar. The AMA Artist of the Year category resumed when the awards returned in May 2025 with Billie Eilish and continued in May 2026 with BTS.

Who was the first K-pop act to win AMA Artist of the Year?

BTS became the first K-pop group to win AMA Artist of the Year at the 2021 American Music Awards, beating nominees including Ariana Grande, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd. BTS added a second Artist of the Year win at the 52nd AMAs in May 2026.

AMA Artist of the Year Winners List by Year

In this article6 sections

AMA Artist of the Year Winners List: How the Category Works
Complete AMA Artist of the Year Winners List by Year
Multiple Wins on the AMA Artist of the Year Winners List
AMA Artist of the Year vs Grammy Artist of the Year
Records, Streaks, and Category Milestones
Explore More Awards Coverage

AMA Artist of the Year winners list — every fan-voted honoree from the American Music Awards’ top prize, introduced in 1996 as the ceremony’s most prestigious category. Taylor Swift leads with seven wins (2009, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022), per Billboard, Variety, and Wikipedia’s AMA tally. Recent champions include BTS (2021 and 2026), Billie Eilish (2025), and Swift’s three-peat from 2018–2020 — the only three-year streak in category history. No Artist of the Year was presented in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 (January show), 2023, or 2024. Below: the complete chronological list, multiple-win records, and how fan voting differs from Grammy peer ballots. We cover winners and history — not red-carpet outfit breakdowns (Pillar F owns fashion analysis).

Cross-link to our sibling Pillar G guides: American Music Awards vs Grammys difference, Grammy winners complete list 2026, Grammy album of the year winners by year, Taylor Swift Grammy wins full history, most Grammy awards won by an artist, and how are Grammy winners chosen voting.

AMA Artist of the Year winners list — golden American Music Awards trophy on Microsoft Theater Los Angeles stage with purple ceremony lighting — Artist of the Year is the AMA’s top fan-voted prize — this AMA Artist of the Year winners list tracks every honoree from 1996 through the 52nd ceremony in May 2026.

AMA Artist of the Year Winners List: How the Category Works

Artist of the Year crowns the act with the greatest overall commercial and cultural impact during the eligibility window — nominations draw on Billboard and Luminate data covering album and single sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring grosses, and social engagement. Winners are decided exclusively by public fan voting via the official AMAs website, app, and social platforms — a democratic contrast to Recording Academy peer ballots covered in how are Grammy winners chosen voting. Dick Clark launched the AMAs in 1974 as a fan-facing counterweight to the Grammys; Artist of the Year became the umbrella honor in 1996 when Garth Brooks won but famously declined, handing the trophy to TLC on live television.

Ceremony timing shifted in 2003: early AMAs honored the previous calendar year (January shows), while November/May cycles now track current-year releases. The show paused in 2023 and 2024 before returning in May 2025 with Billie Eilish and again in May 2026 when BTS reclaimed the crown. For how AMAs differ from peer-voted shows, read American Music Awards vs Grammys difference.

Microsoft Theater Los Angeles exterior at dusk where AMA Artist of the Year winners list honorees accept fan-voted trophies each ceremony — Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles has hosted most modern AMA cycles — where each new name joins the AMA Artist of the Year winners list on live ABC telecasts.

Complete AMA Artist of the Year Winners List by Year

Verified winners through the 52nd American Music Awards (May 2026), sourced from Billboard, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and official AMA press releases. Dashes mark years the category was not presented.

1990s

1996: Garth Brooks — declined on air; TLC accepted on his behalf
1997: Not awarded
1998: Not awarded
1999: Garth Brooks

2000s

2000: Not awarded
2001: *NSYNC
2002: U2
2003 (January): Not awarded
2003 (November): Madonna
2004: Kenny Chesney
2005: Kelly Clarkson
2006: Rascal Flatts
2007: Carrie Underwood
2008: Chris Brown
2009: Taylor Swift

2010s

2010: Justin Bieber — youngest winner at age 16
2011: Taylor Swift
2012: Justin Bieber
2013: Taylor Swift
2014: One Direction
2015: One Direction — consecutive boy-band sweep
2016: Ariana Grande
2017: Bruno Mars
2018: Taylor Swift
2019: Taylor Swift — start of three-peat

Music charts and award category lists on screens illustrating fan voting that crowns each AMA Artist of the Year winners list honoree — Fan votes — not industry juries — decide every line on the AMA Artist of the Year winners list, amplifying global fandoms from BTS ARMY to Swifties.

2020s

2020: Taylor Swift — third consecutive win for Folklore era
2021: BTS — first K-pop group to claim Artist of the Year
2022: Taylor Swift — record-extending seventh trophy for Midnights
2023: Not awarded (AMAs hiatus)
2024: Not awarded (AMAs hiatus)
2025: Billie Eilish — first win in category amid seven-trophy night
2026: BTS — second Artist of the Year, live U.S. return at 52nd AMAs

That 28-presentation span (1996–2026, minus hiatus years) makes the AMA Artist of the Year winners list one of music’s best barometers for mainstream fan devotion — not critical consensus. Swift’s seven wins exceed every peer; only Bieber, One Direction, and BTS have multiple victories.

Golden American Music Awards trophy statuettes on velvet shelf representing decades of AMA Artist of the Year winners list history — From Garth Brooks and TLC in 1996 to BTS in 2026 — the AMA Artist of the Year winners list spans country, pop, rock, R&B, and global crossover eras.

Multiple Wins on the AMA Artist of the Year Winners List

Repeat victories are rare in a fan-voted field with five-to-seven nominees annually:

Taylor Swift — 7 wins: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022. Also the only three-peat (2018–2020) and first artist nominated five consecutive years. Compare her Grammy haul in Taylor Swift Grammy wins full history.
Justin Bieber — 2 wins: 2010, 2012
One Direction — 2 wins: 2014, 2015 (consecutive)
BTS — 2 wins: 2021, 2026
Garth Brooks — 2 wins: 1996 (declined), 1999

Notable one-time champions who shaped pop eras: Madonna (2003), Kelly Clarkson (2005), Carrie Underwood (2007), Ariana Grande (2016), Bruno Mars (2017), and Billie Eilish (2025). Drake has five career nominations without a win — the category’s most prominent bridesmaid alongside Beyoncé’s four nods and zero victories.

Empty American Music Awards stage podium with microphone where AMA Artist of the Year winners list envelopes open live on ABC — Every envelope reveal rewrites fan-history math — the AMA Artist of the Year winners list turns chart dominance into a single night’s headline trophy.

AMA Artist of the Year vs Grammy Artist of the Year

Do not confuse this AMA crown with the Grammys’ discontinued Artist of the Year honor or Album of the Year — different shows, different ballots. AMA Artist of the Year is fan-voted and genre-agnostic; Grammys reward Recording Academy member votes across 94 categories. Swift’s seven AMA wins outpace her Grammy count documented in most Grammy awards won by an artist, illustrating how public enthusiasm and peer recognition diverge. BTS won AMA Artist of the Year twice before any comparable Grammy Album of the Year victory — a gap our American Music Awards vs Grammys difference guide unpacks in full.

For parallel Grammy history hubs, see Grammy winners complete list 2026 and Grammy album of the year winners by year.

Records, Streaks, and Category Milestones

Key benchmarks readers bookmarking the AMA Artist of the Year winners list should know:

Most wins: Taylor Swift (7)
Most nominations: Taylor Swift (11 per 2026 reporting)
Youngest winner: Justin Bieber (16, 2010)
First international group: BTS (2021)
Only three-peat: Taylor Swift (2018, 2019, 2020)
Consecutive group wins: One Direction (2014, 2015)
Most famous declined win: Garth Brooks (1996) — TLC accepted

The 2023–2024 hiatus broke a annual streak dating to 2004’s November shift. The 2025–2026 May ceremonies signal a new calendar rhythm — expect future AMA Artist of the Year winners list updates each spring rather than November.

Sealed envelope beside golden trophy on AMA ceremony podium before Artist of the Year reveal updates the winners list — Envelope night is when decades of chart data collapse into one fan-voted name on the AMA Artist of the Year winners list.

Explore More Awards Coverage

AMAs vs Grammys: American Music Awards vs Grammys difference
Grammy hub: Grammy winners complete list 2026
Album of the Year: Grammy album of the year winners by year
Swift Grammys: Taylor Swift Grammy wins full history
Video peers: VMAs 2026 winners full list
BET peers: BET Awards 2026 winners list
Visit our Awards archive for ceremony history and records.

AMA Artist of the Year Winners List: Every Winner by Year

AMA Artist of the Year Winners List: How the Category Works