Stars turn out for AMA red carpet at MGM Grand — PHOTOS

Music was reflected visually on the red (or, in this case, blue) carpet of the American Music Awards show at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Monday afternoon.

These events are usually a photo frenzy, with inhabitants preening and posing and posting. And that’s just the media (hey-oh!).

In this high concentration of fabulousness, we caught up with New Kids on the Block, in the person of Donnie Wahlberg. I asked for a status report on the band’s Dolby Live residency. The band has 16 dates upcoming in June, July and October.

“Once you open that Vegas door, it kind of stays open,” Wahlberg said, saying the band was especially proud of its Key to the City honor in November 2025. “We feel we are part of the fabric of Las Vegas. We’ve treated the residency not as a break between touring, but like the pinnacle. We went all out.”

Wahlberg said there would be modifications to the production, even as it is set to close in October.

“What we want to do now is just elevate the show a little bit before it finishes its run,” Wahlberg said. “We’re adding adding stuff that the fans are gonna love.”

Wahlberg said an extension isn’t in the plans. But a return is never out of the question.

“If we want to do Vegas again, as opposed to extending, we would maybe do a quick tour, and then come back and rebuild a new show. It may be a totally different vibe than what we’re doing now,” Wahlberg said. “I think there’ll be another story to tell at that point. I think if we come back for Vegas again, we’d want to build another show.”

The players

Queen Latifah hosted the show, returning for the first time since 1995. CBS and Paramount+ carried the broadcast.

Performers included Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Billy Idol; International Artist Award of Excellence recipient Karol G; Veterans Voice Award Presented by USAA’s Honor Through Action recipient Darius Rucker, who performed with Hootie & The Blowfish; Katseye; Keith Urban; Maluma; New Kids on the Block; The Pussycat Dolls + Busta Rhymes; Riley Green; Sombr, Teddy Swims; Teyana Taylor and Twenty One Pilots.

The night’s presenters included Alysa Liu, Anthony Ramos, Ejae, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Hannah Berner, Hilary Duff, Jason Derulo, John Legend, Lisa Rinna, Ludacris, Mariah the Scientist, Matt Rife, Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs, Melanie Martinez, Nikki Glaser, Paula Abdul, Rei Ami and Russell Dickerson.

Former or current Las Vegas residency headliners featured in the broadcast included NKOTB, Idol, Urban, Legend, Abdul and Derulo. And, Robin Antin’s Pussy Cat Dolls were once in partnership with a branded club at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace (Omnia Nightclub today) in the mid-2000s. The production has had an eye on a return to Vegas after its North American “PCD Forever” reunion tour, before that series was canceled on May 4.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.