By Marane A. Plaza
The 52nd Annual American Music Awards was underway on Memorial Day in the USA on Monday, May 25, 2026, US time (May 26, Philippine time). The bangin’ ceremony that gathered today’s most popular musicians was hosted by rap queen and actress Queen Latifah. The show was broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in the US.
With the rising popularity of P-Pop in the international mainstream media, it is nice to be reminded that music with either Pinoy roots or Filipino influence has run deep already in the Western music scene — long before BINI started rocking Coachella, or Pinay fierce leader Sophia Laforteza began leading today’s hottest girl group KATSEYE.
It is another good day to be Pinoy, as Filipino musicians take centerstage at the American Music Awards 2026, and we’ve gathered here our favorite Pinoy moments from the show:
1. Black Eyed Peas Shows Us How to Do a Throwback
The original members of Black Eyed Peas, the group version with Fergie as the female lead vocalist, reunited at the AMA show. The group won the “Best Throwback Song” award with its 2010 hit “Rock That Body.”
The song bested Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?”
The group’s 2005 song “Bebot” has made a major viral moment on TikTok since the past year, and I am wondering how is it not getting proper props at the AMAs????
Anyhoo, Apl.de.ap also proudly delivered a powerful Filipino shoutout onstage, saying: “Maraming salamat, mahal ko kayo, mabuhay ang Filipino!” — a moment that drew cheers and added a proud cultural highlight to the reunion.
2. Nicole Scherzinger Reminds Us Who She is
Nicole Scherzinger stole the show at the 2026 American Music Awards, hitting the stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for a fiery reunion with The Pussycat Dolls.
The powerhouse vocalist reminded us all why she’d been the main vocalist and front-and-center leader of the girl group during their striking presence in the music scene in the mid- to late-2000s.
Flanked by bandmates Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, she performed a medley of iconic hits and surprised fans by bringing out legendary rapper Busta Rhymes.
The 2025 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical winner (from her portrayal of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Blvd.) served as the powerhouse anchor for The Pussycat Dolls during the 52nd annual AMAs.
Dressed in striking red latex, she opened the performance by shouting “AMAs, make some noise!” before leading the trio through the 2006 smash “Buttons” and 2008’s “When I Grow Up.”The high-energy set also featured a fresh single, “Club Song,” and culminated in a massive collaboration with Busta Rhymes for their classic 2005 hit “Don’t Cha”.
Proudly identifying with her Filipino, Native Hawaiian, and Ukrainian heritage, her biological father is Filipino, and her mother is of Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian descent. The surname “Scherzinger” comes from her German-American stepfather, Gary Scherzinger
3. Katseye’s Sophia Laforteza Shows Us Why She’s the Leader of The Girl Group
Of course, KATSEYE won the “Best New Artist of the Year” at the AMAs 2026, as we’ve been in their new artist era for a while now.
The group’s leader, Sophia, dazzled once again with her strong face card, lethal body, bangin’ dance skills, and to-die-for vocals.
Born in Queens, New York and raised in Manila, Philippines, Sophia is the epitome of the global Pinoy artist with sensibilities that can charm an international crowd.
Just like the humble princess that she is, Sophia also gave her shoutout to K-Pop royalty BTS, giving them flowers on “representing our (Asian) culture in the global scale” during the group’s award acceptance speech.
The group performed “Pinky Up” before they were informed they’re declared winner for the “new artist” category.
4. Bruno Mars Scores Major Wins at the AMAs Night
Bruno Mars won three awards out of his four nominations. He completely dominated the R&B category field following the release of his studio album The Romantic.
2026 AMA Wins:
Best Male R&B Artist
Best R&B Album: Won for The Romantic
Best R&B Song: Won for his single “I Just Might”
Artist of the Year: Nominated. The award was ultimately won by K-Pop group BTS.
The Grammy-winning singer did not attend the live ceremony at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Garden Arena due to his touring schedule in Canada.
However, he emerged as one of the night’s top-winning artists alongside BTS, Sabrina Carpenter, and KATSEYE.
I am all fired up by these Pinoy moments at the AMAs. How about you, what’s your favorite moment from the show?
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Janeena Chan is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine right now. The multihyphenate media star, in-demand host, singer, actress, Sparkle artist, and our very own Stylish correspondent shares her journey as a modern Filipina-Chinese woman navigating her career in entertainment and lifestyle while embracing her heritage.
Read the Stylish Magazine January-February 2026 cover story here.
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