Everything to Know About the 2019 American Music Awards
Calling all music fans — Sunday night is set to be an epic night filled with the industry’s latest and greatest stars.
The 2019 American Music Awards are almost here, and fans are eager to see whether their votes will put a trophy in the hands of their favorite artists, with honors celebrating work across every genre from pop and rap to country and R&B. With show-stopping performances and unforgettable acceptance speeches, the live broadcast is sure to delight viewers.
Here’s a complete guide to prime you ahead of the big night:
Check out PEOPLE’s full AMAs coverage to get the latest news on one of music’s biggest nights.
Who’s Hosting?
This year’s emceeing duties fall upon Ciara. The “Level Up” singer, 34, is set to host one year after she brought the goodies to the AMAs stage with hip-hop legend Missy Elliott. Their one-of-a-kind performance at last year’s ceremony, which was hosted by actress Tracee Ellis Ross, left an impression on audiences that will be hard to top — but we’re confident Ciara won’t disappoint.
On Thursday, the singer shared a video of herself rolling out the red carpet for the event, hyping her headlining gig to her 24 million followers.
RELATED: Ciara Says She Runs All of Her Songs by Her Kids: ‘They Let Me Know If Something Is Right’
Who’s Performing?
The better question would be who isn’t performing. Aside from highly anticipated performances from fresh-faced chart-toppers like Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes and Lizzo (who all just scored big with Grammy nominations earlier this week), this year’s AMAs aims to celebrate the decade past.
Country superstar Shania Twain is gonna getcha good with a medley of her career’s many hits, her first time back singing on the AMAs in 16 years. The artist, 54 — who’s scheduled to begin her Las Vegas residency next month — has a lengthy discography with songs like “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”
Taylor Swift, who currently holds the record for the most AMA wins by a female artist, will take the stage for a retrospective performance that’ll span her career, as well.
Other acts warming up their vocals for the ceremony include Dua Lipa, Christina Aguilera, Green Day, Ozzy Osbourne and Toni Braxton. Travis Scott, Post Malone, Halsey, Thomas Rhett and the Jonas Brothers will also perform.
Sunday night’s show is slated to be Selena Gomez‘s first live TV performance in two years, with the star expected to perform one of her two new singles, “Lose You to Love Me” and “Look at Her Now.”
RELATED: Thomas Rhett Tapped for 2019 American Music Awards Performance with Additional Charity Component
Who’s Presenting?
The list of presenters is just as star-studded as the performer lineup.
Set to present trophies to the evening’s winners are country duo Dan + Shay, Jenna Dewan, Paula Abdul, Kelsea Ballerini, Tyra Banks, Chadwick Boseman, Kane Brown, Misty Copeland, Jamie Lee Curtis, David Dobrik, Maya Hawke, Jameela Jamil, Regina King, Heidi Klum, Katherine Langford, Dan Levy, Megan Thee Stallion, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Constance Wu, among others.
Legendary singer/songwriter Carole King, 77, said she is “thrilled” to present Taylor Swift with her honor on Sunday night.
“She is an extraordinary songwriter who has cultivated a unique and personal relationship with her audience,” King told PEOPLE in a statement. “As a woman songwriter who also got into the music world at a young age, I know the kind of determination, struggle and single-minded perseverance it has taken for her to reach such heights.”
Who’s Nominated?
Post Malone leads the field of nominees this year, with the “Rockstar” rapper recognized in seven categories, including artist of the year, collaboration of the year and favorite male artist – pop/rock. Close behind, with six nominations each, are Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish.
Filling out the artist of the year category are Drake, Grande, Halsey, Malone and Taylor Swift — who will need to clear a blank space for a new statuette, as it was previously announced she will be honored with the artist of the decade title.
New artist of the year nominees include Luke Combs, Eilish, Lil Nas X, Lizzo and Ella Mai. Other notable nominations include Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for their “Shallow” collaboration, K-pop group BTS for tour of the year, and Carrie Underwood for favorite female country artist.
See the complete list of nominees here.
How Do I Watch the Pre-Show?
The official pre-show red carpet coverage will be live-streamed via the American Music Awards’ Twitter account for fans around the world to see the stars’ glamorous looks. You can also follow along with the night’s developments on social media using the hashtag #AMAs. Leading all the way up to showtime, the two-hour pre-show will begin at 6:00 p.m. EST.
How Do I Watch the Awards?
The 2019 American Music Awards will be broadcast live on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
