The Worst-Dressed Stars At The 2026 American Music Awards

Is there a stylist strike in entertainment right now? Because that's the only reason we can think of that might explain why there were so many shockingly bad outfits at this year's American Music Awards. The arrivals carpet at this event was even more abysmal than the one that gave us the worst-dressed stars at the 2025 American Music Awards.

There were some bright spots to the event, held on May 25, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada, including the event host Queen Latifah. But the majority of guests missed the fashion mark, with some celebrities experimenting in ways that left us scratching our heads. 

Another unfortunate trend we noticed? A few attendees wore looks that copied other celebs' outfits from the past. This imposter syndrome is risky business; you'd better bring your better-than-A game or expect critical feedback when you dress like someone else, because comparisons are inevitable. As the age-old advice for would-be copy-cats goes: If you're going to try and replicate something everybody's already seen, make sure it's better than the original. Sadly, a few stars missed the memo on that front. The following attendees had us disappointed, bored, or just plain confused this year.

Influencer Haley Kalil, better known as Haley Baylee, wore a Di Petsa wet dress, which Instagram fans compared to other celeb wet looks in recent years, especially Doja Cat's 2024 Vetements look that landed her on the list of most inappropriate outfits in Met Gala history. Another fan mentioned Hilary Duff's Di Petsa dress, worn on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in March of this year. Are we saying that no one else can ever wear a wet dress again? No, but be prepared for comparisons if you do. Unfortunately, unlike Duff's, Kalil's version seemed in desperate need of tailoring at the bottom.

Actor and artist Kelsi Davies wore an outfit to the AMAs "for the weird/spooky girls," as she wrote on Instagram. It consisted of a black-and-white dress worthy of an Old West saloon, topped by a black bolero. She also carried a red purse that was meant to look like a human heart, complete with arteries, and wore insanely high platform heels. "Tim Burton would be so proud," she said in a video of the look. And we agree, it would be on-point cosplay for a Burton-themed party. An awards show? Not so much.

"Summer House" star Mia Calabrese looked fantastic at the AMAs, but we were so bored by this tired look. Jennifer Lopez's Grammys dress is an iconic fashion moment that has been done and done again. The first long-sleeve iteration hit the runway in 1999, and Geri Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice) wore it in 2000, followed by Lopez. Versace brought out a sleeveless version, modeled by Lopez, in 2019, and by that time, we'd officially had enough of this frock. Calabrese's critics didn't hold back on Facebook, with one writing, "No thanks for participating I'll take the SPECTACULAR of JLO."

Singer-songwriter Mariah the Scientist's 2026 AMAs outfit had some redeeming features to it, like the confident white color and fitted skirt. But the jacket was a mess. The feathers at the neck and cuffs looked like they were swallowing her up, and the open torso felt sloppy and like she was trying too hard. One fan called it "her first miss" on X.

Hinata from Japanese girl group XG may be fire right now, but her pink AMAs 'fit was bizarre. It had elements of Victorian cosplay with the high frilly-lace neck and the upholstery-like pink separates. And the cheap-looking feathers adorning her head seemed like they were sourced at a local craft store. What we did appreciate, however, is how each member of XG looked different at the show, rather than losing their individuality by dressing in an overly coordinated way.

Let's start with the positive: Esty brought her unique style to the AMAs navy carpet. And that's about where it ends. The rapper's 'fit looked like it was pieced together with scraps from nana's knitting basket. The tiered crocheted skirt looked worthy of a character in a Dr. Seuss book. And the cinnamon rolls at the chest? Cringeworthy. "A mess," wrote one X user. At least one other found humor in the homemade-looking style, writing: "Her outfit came from Etsy wbk."

The proverbial car wreck when it comes to fashion is an outfit so bad you can't look away. But singer Melanie Martinez's mix of chocolate shades was more of a crash that left us feeling like we couldn't figure out where to actually focus our attention. There was way too much going on, and even keeping everything in brown tones couldn't help the chaos. The skirt, the dangling pieces, the crazy sleeves — it was all over the top and made Martinez one of the worst-dressed this year.