The 2025 American Music Awards commenced, but a significant absence overshadowed the initial buzz: Taylor Swift. The 35-year-old pop superstar, despite being nominated in six major categories, was a no-show at the Las Vegas event, neither walking the purple carpet nor appearing via video, leaving her dedicated fanbase, the Swifties, in a state of high anticipation and subsequent confusion.

Swift's nominations were extensive, including prestigious categories such as Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Favourite Pop Album for ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, Collaboration of the Year for ‘Fortnight (featuring Post Malone)’, Favourite Touring Artist for the Eras Tour, and Favourite Female Pop Artist. In a surprising turn of events for an artist who boasts a record 40 AMA wins, Swift did not take home any awards. This outcome was particularly shocking to fans considering the monumental success of her Eras Tour, which traversed five continents, visited 51 cities for 149 shows, and grossed over $2 billion, becoming one of the highest-grossing tours of all time. Five of her potential awards went to Billie Eilish, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars secured Collaboration of the Year for ‘Die With A Smile’.

The lack of wins, especially for Favourite Touring Artist, sparked a wave of reactions online. Fans expressed disbelief and support, with some commenting on perceived snubs, such as one fan noting, "the amas muting the crowd for ONLY taylor swifts “artist of the year” clip is actually crazy work." Others reaffirmed their loyalty: "TAYLOR WILL FOREVER & ALWAYS BE OUR ARTIST OF THE YEAR EVERY YEAR FOR OUR LIFETIME." Some fans humorously suggested her absence was the reason for the outcome, with one quipping, "AMAs really said “no attendance, no award for you” lmao."

Beyond the awards themselves, a significant portion of the fan frenzy revolved around the highly anticipated announcement of "Reputation (Taylor’s Version)," affectionately dubbed "Rep TV." Many Swifties were convinced the AMAs would be the stage for this reveal, given Swift's history of making major album announcements at award shows, such as "Midnights" at the 2022 MTV VMAs and "The Tortured Poets Department" at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

This speculation was fueled by a series of perceived "Easter eggs" and clues. These included a 26% discount on merchandise on Swift's official website, with the site menu items for "Apparel, Music, Accessories, Sale" spelling out "AMAs." Some fans noted her Instagram post count stood at 676 (26 multiplied by 26). Furthermore, a re-recorded snippet of "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)" was featured in an episode of "The Handmaid’s Tale," and Swift had been seen wearing a snake necklace—a key symbol of the Reputation era—at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. The presence of Tiffany Haddish, who appeared in the original "Look What You Made Me Do" music video, as a presenter at the AMAs further intensified these theories.

However, as the night progressed with no sign of Swift and no announcement, disappointment grew among her fanbase. Online reactions ranged from simple queries like "WHERES TAYLOR SWIFT????" to humorous memes, including one depicting an empty backdrop captioned "Taylor Swift arrives at #AMAs" and another joking about Swift attending in a "stealth appearance" as a snake. Many fans had also hoped for news on other future projects, but the evening ended without any updates from the artist.

The AMAs ceremony itself was hosted by Jennifer Lopez, who made her return as emcee a decade after her first hosting gig in 2015. The 55-year-old entertainer opened the show with a high-energy performance, dancing to her 2012 hit ‘Dance Again’ and a medley of other popular songs including tracks by Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Billie Eilish, and Chappell Roan. The night also featured performances from artists including Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson, and Benson Boone.

Several other notable moments included Janet Jackson receiving the Icon Award and Rod Stewart being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The list of presenters featured a mix of celebrities such as comedians Tiffany Haddish and Nikki Glaser, alongside stars like Ciara, Megan Moroney, Kai Cenat, and Shaboozey. Earlier on the purple carpet, celebrities like Megan Moroney, Machine Gun Kelly, Becky G, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Rebecca Black, and Kehlani posed for photographers.

In a significant shift, the 2025 American Music Awards aired live on CBS for the first time, after decades of broadcasting on ABC. Viewers in the U.S. could also stream the event on Paramount+, marking a new era for the awards show's accessibility.

For Taylor Swift's fans, the 2025 AMAs turned into an evening of unfulfilled expectations. The combination of her absence, the unexpected sweep of zero awards, and the non-materialization of the "Reputation (Taylor’s Version)" announcement left many disheartened, though her fanbase remains characteristically resilient and ever-watchful for her next move.