May 25, 2026 — K-pop supergroup BTS returned to the awards stage and claimed the top prize at the fan-voted American Music Awards in Las Vegas, winning Artist of the Year for the second time. The seven-member act also took Song of the Summer for “Swim” and Best Male K-pop Artist after opening the show with a pre-recorded performance of “Hooligan” from their Allegiant Stadium concert. The wins came weeks after BTS’s comeback album Arirang topped the Billboard 200 and amid a sold-out four-night run in Las Vegas as part of the Arirang World Tour. Other notable winners included The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X’s “Golden” (Song of the Year), rising act KATSEYE (New Artist), and indie performer Sombr, while Billy Idol received a Lifetime Achievement Award. The AMAs’ broadcast on CBS and Paramount+ highlighted strong global fan engagement and extensive cross-platform promotion, with citywide BTS activations on the Strip and large local economic spillovers during Memorial Day weekend.

Theodore “Sonny” Rollins, the towering tenor saxophonist widely known as the “Saxophone Colossus,” died at his home in Woodstock, New York, on May 25, 2026. He was 95. Rollins’s publicist Terri Hinte and a statement on his website announced his passing; no specific cause of death was given. A central figure in modern jazz from the late 1940s, Rollins recorded more than 60 albums as a bandleader and collaborated with the era’s leading figures, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. Landmark recordings include Saxophone Colossus (1956) and The Bridge (1962), the latter inspired by his long practice sessions on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge. He won multiple awards, including competitive Grammys and lifetime honours such as the National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center recognition and the NEA Jazz Master title. Respiratory illness forced him into retirement in the 2010s and he had been largely housebound in recent years. Survivors named in reports include nephew Clifton Anderson and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.

The Pussycat Dolls — Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt — reunited onstage at the 2026 American Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 25, delivering a high-energy medley that included “Buttons,” “When I Grow Up,” their new single “Club Song” and a closing rendition of 2005 hit “Don’t Cha” with guest rapper Busta Rhymes (joined by hypeman Spliff Star). The trio, dressed in coordinated red leather/latex looks, performed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena nearly 20 years after their AMAs debut. The appearance comes after the group announced its reunion and the 53-date PCD Forever Tour in March, then canceled most North American dates earlier in May, leaving only a June 6 Outloud/WeHo Pride engagement confirmed. European and U.K. legs are reported to remain on sale, with a planned October finale in London. Notably absent from the rebooted lineup were former members Carmit Bachar, Jessica Sutta and Melody Thornton, who said they were not contacted about the revival. The AMAs performance was widely framed as a reintroduction of the trio’s comeback amid ongoing tour uncertainty.

KATSEYE delivered a high‑energy, heavily choreographed performance of their new single “Pinky Up” at the American Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 25, emerging from a giant pink teddy bear amid a tea‑party set and bright pink visuals. The five‑member lineup — Daniela, Lara, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae — performed while member Manon remains on hiatus. The group took home the AMA for New Artist of the Year and was also nominated for Best Music Video for “Gnarly” and Breakthrough Pop Artist. “Pinky Up” debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Formed through a Hybe–Geffen joint venture and launched via the Dream Academy competition and Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy, KATSEYE has rapidly expanded its profile after a breakout year that included a Coachella set and a viral single. The group is slated to release the Wild EP on Aug. 14 and will embark on the Wildworld Tour Sept. 1 in Dublin, with dates across Europe and North America.

Sharon and Jack Osbourne have partnered with digital human firms Hyperreal and Proto Hologram to create a lifelike, AI‑powered avatar of the late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. Announced at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in May, the system — built from authenticated, family‑approved source material and deployed in Proto Luma interactive units — is billed as a life‑size, real‑time performer that can move, speak and answer fans’ questions. The family says the avatar, which they hope will make a first UK appearance in Birmingham, could be used in concerts, exhibitions, films and advertising and will roll out in the US and UK by late summer 2026. The plan has provoked a wave of criticism from some fans who describe the project as disrespectful or overly commercial. Jack Osbourne has defended the initiative in livestreams, saying it will be “tasteful” and that similar ideas were discussed with his father before his death in July 2025 at age 76. Hyperreal says its patented technology and curated data create a “living performance” rather than pre‑rendered footage.