{"id":242345,"date":"2026-05-26T00:31:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/26\/host-queen-latifah-reflects-on-her-career-in-her-american-music-awards-2026-opening-monologue\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T00:31:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T00:31:03","slug":"host-queen-latifah-reflects-on-her-career-in-her-american-music-awards-2026-opening-monologue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/26\/host-queen-latifah-reflects-on-her-career-in-her-american-music-awards-2026-opening-monologue\/","title":{"rendered":"Host Queen Latifah Reflects on Her Career in Her American Music Awards 2026 Opening Monologue"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Queen Latifah<\/strong><\/a> kicked off her 2026 American Music Awards<\/a> hosting gig with an unforgettable monologue fit for royalty.<\/p>\n

The rapper and actress, 56, opened the Monday, May 25, awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gotta say, it feels so good to be back here hosting the AMAs after 31 years,\u201d Latifah said as she addressed the crowd. \u201cYou believe that? Some of BTS wasn\u2019t even born, that\u2019s crazy. That Black don\u2019t crack baby! And if you would have told me 31 years ago I\u2019d be back on that stage, a stack of awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a career thats taken me from music to film, I probably would\u2019ve looked at you and said, \u2018Who you calling a trailblazer?’\u201d<\/p>\n

She also shared a message in honor of the country\u2019s military vetereans, as the awards show fell on Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

This is not Latifah\u2019s first time helming the AMAs. She previously made her cohosting debut alongside Tom Jones<\/strong> and Lorrie Morgan<\/strong> during the January 1995 awards show.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>American Music Awards 2026 Red Carpet: Stars Take Over Sin City in Style<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tCelebrities stepped onto the 2026 American Music Awards red carpet in show-stopping looks for one of the hottest events of the year. A-listers dazzled as they gave Us some serious fashion inspo under the bright Las Vegas lights on Monday, May 25, in honor of the star-studded ceremony held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI am excited to return to the American Music Awards stage to host this year,\u201d she said in an April press release. \u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible year for music and there is no better place to celebrate than in Vegas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dick Clark Productions CEO Jay Penske<\/strong> was equally excited about Latifah returning to her hosting role after 31 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to welcome Queen Latifah back as host of the American Music Awards,\u201d Penske said at the time. \u201cA true powerhouse and trailblazer, she brings a dynamic presence and deep connection to both fans and fellow artists, making her the perfect choice to lead a night of celebrating the biggest names and most defining moments in music.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Latifah has focused more on acting in recent years, she is also known for her influential hip-hop career. Nearly two decades after her most recent studio album, 2009\u2019s Persona<\/em>, she exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em> in May 2025 that she is \u201cfinding my pen again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to see what comes of that,\u201d she teased of her potential return to music<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m pretty open. There\u2019s rap artists that I would love to get down with. There\u2019s also rock artists.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Latifah acknowledged that \u201ca lot of music is different\u201d now than when she started out in the 1980s, she is willing to experiment with her sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to do some house music. I\u2019ve made house music since the first album,\u201d she explained. \u201cI definitely want to step into that space and have some more fun. I could do reggae. I mean, there\u2019s so many things I feel like I can step into \u2014 and of course, more jazz.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for possible collaborations, Latifah shouted out several popular artists she hopes to work with at some point in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Doechii<\/strong>. I would do anything with Doechii,\u201d she told Us<\/em>. \u201cShe is dope. She sounds like she\u2019s from my era. She drew from all the great rappers of my era, for sure, and she produces. She can do no wrong in my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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