Queen Latifah is heading back to the American Music Awards, this time as the boss of the whole show. The star will host the 52nd American Music Awards in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend, with the fan‑voted ceremony set for Monday, May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, producers say.
CBS and Dick Clark Productions have tapped Latifah to front the live telecast, which will air coast‑to‑coast Monday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+. According to a CBS press release via Paramount Press Express, the show will be staged at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with performers, presenters and special honorees to be announced in the coming weeks. Latifah said she was “so excited to return to the American Music Awards stage to host this year,” the release quoted.
Broadcast, voting and tickets
Nominations will be announced and fan voting opens Tuesday, April 14, running through Friday, May 8, organizers say. CBS and trade listings note those dates, lining up the AMAs as a Memorial Day week centerpiece for music fans.
Tickets are already on sale for those who want to be in the room when the trophies are handed out. The AXS event page lists AMAs tickets and the arena address as 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South. AXS provides on‑sale and venue details for buyers.
Latifah's return and credentials
Latifah’s hosting gig marks a full‑circle moment more than three decades after she co‑hosted the AMAs in 1995. Since then, her resume has only grown: she is a Grammy winner with a career that stretches across rap, film and television.
Her recent honors underline that longevity. The National Endowment for the Arts lists her among the 2024 National Medal of Arts recipients, and a Kennedy Center press release details her 2023 recognition there. NEA and the Kennedy Center noted those accolades, and organizers point to her long history with the AMAs as part of the draw.
What it means for the Strip
For Las Vegas, Queen Latifah’s arrival is part of a heavier‑than‑usual awards traffic jam along the Strip. The Academy of Country Music Awards is also returning to MGM Grand earlier in May, creating back‑to‑back big‑room weekends for the resort and its neighbors. country stars stampede back to MGM Grand, and local listings show both productions pulling in national crews and ticketed crowds.
For fans and businesses, that likely translates to packed hotels, heavier traffic and more star‑studded nights along Las Vegas Boulevard as production teams cycle in and out for live broadcasts.
Nominees are due April 14 and winners will be decided by fans during the voting window that closes May 8. For updates on performers, presenter announcements and press credentials, organizers point to TheAMAs.com and the AXS event page.
