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Despite arguably being the face of the music industry, Taylor Swift was absent for this year’s American Music Awards. Swifties were convinced, though, that she’d make a huge announcement at the May 26, 2206, AMAs (i.e a new album), because of the penultimate episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, which featured her hit single “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version).” Since Taylor is known for dropping subtle hints before dropping something big, fans believed she’d at least appear at the awards show. So, why wasn’t she at the AMAs?
Hollywood Life breaks down Taylor’s AMAs absence below.
How Many AMAs Was Taylor Nominated for in 2025?
Taylor was nominated for six AMAs this year: Artist of the Year, Favorite Female Pop Artist, Favorite Touring Artist, Album of the Year, Favorite Pop Album for The Tortured Poets Department and Collaboration of the Year for her single “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone.
Why Wasn’t Taylor Swift at the 2025 AMAs?
Taylor has not given a reason behind her absence at the AMAs, nor was she seen anywhere else that day. So, it’s unclear if the pop star was busy with something else or simply skipped this year’s event by choice.
On May 24, however, Taylor and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, were spotted on a dinner date in Palm Beach, Florida. The couple have been keeping things low key, and they’ve been together since mid-2023.
Is Taylor Swift Working on a New Album?
It’s unclear if Taylor is working on a new album or is taking some time off. After all, she released back-to-back albums, released deluxe versions and performed on her worldwide Eras Tour from March 2023 through December 2024.
Did Taylor Swift Star in The Handmaid’s Tale?
No, Taylor did not make a cameo in season 6 of The Handmaid’s Tale, but her single “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version) played out in one scene as Elisabeth Moss‘ character, June, led an army of rebellious handmaid’s. Fans were quick to point out that one actor in the scene looked a lot like Taylor, but Elisabeth shut down the rumors during an interview with TVLine.
“Of course it’s not her,” the actress, director and executive producer told the outlet on May 23. “Oh my God, that’s hilarious. I love that idea, though. But this is one of the reasons we were so excited about this moment, just the fan engagement on Handmaid’s is so intense, and then marrying that with the Swifties is, like, ‘Jesus Christ.’ It’s so fun!”