Hip-hop and R&B artists delivered many of the headline moments at Monday night’s American Music Awards, with Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Bruno Mars among the genre winners recognized during the fan-voted ceremony.
Rap and R&B continued to play a major role in the awards lineup and performances, with host Queen Latifah leading the show from Las Vegas.
Kendrick Lamar won best male hip-hop artist after entering the night as one of the leading nominees. Cardi B captured best female hip-hop artist, while her album “Am I the Drama?” won best hip-hop album, and her track “ErrTime” earned best hip-hop song.
In R&B categories, Bruno Mars won best male R&B artist and best R&B album for “The Romantic.” SZA took home best female R&B artist, while Leon Thomas won breakthrough R&B artist.
While K-pop group BTS won artist of the year and several top overall honors, hip-hop and R&B categories generated some of the night’s strongest audience reaction online, reflecting the genres’ continued influence on streaming and fan engagement.
The 52nd annual American Music Awards aired live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, continuing the show’s emphasis on fan voting across major music genres.
