Fergie Holds Back Tears in Black Eyed Peas AMAs Reunion

Fergie reunited with will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap on stage at the 2026 AMAs
The Black Eyed Peas won Best Throwback Song for their 2010 hit “Rock That Body”
Fergie called the group her “longtime friends and brothers” and held their hands during the speech
She revealed that her 12-year-old son Axl finally put the song on his playlist
It was the first time the original lineup appeared together at a major awards show since Fergie’s 2018 departure

Fergie is back with her boys — and she could barely keep it together.

The singer reunited with will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap on stage at the 2026 American Music Awards on Monday night to accept the Best Throwback Song award for “Rock That Body,” the group’s 2010 anthem that beat out Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” in the new AMAs category celebrating classic songs that have found second lives on TikTok and social media.

It was the first time the original Black Eyed Peas lineup appeared together at a major awards show since Fergie stepped away from the group in 2018 to focus on her solo career. And the 51-year-old was not hiding how much it meant to her.

“What a moment,” she said, visibly emotional while tightly gripping will.i.am and apl.de.ap’s hands. “I want to thank all of the fans for voting for this so I can stand up here right now with my longtime friends and brothers, the Black Eyed Peas.”

The Son Who Finally Listened

The sweetest part of the night came when Fergie talked about her 12-year-old son Axl, whom she shares with ex-husband Josh Duhamel. Despite spending years creating massive hits with the Black Eyed Peas, it was “Rock That Body” that finally made the preteen give his mom’s music a chance.

“I get to now say this. I finally, finally get to say this on TV: Hi, Axl! ‘Rock That Body’ we did it!” she beamed from the stage.

She also turned to the fans making TikToks and Instagram videos with the group’s music. “Sometimes, the content you make is so big and the feelings are so big for me it’s overwhelming to look because there’s so much love that you put into it,” she told the crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. “I just wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I see you. You mean so much.”

The Road Back

Fergie was the lead vocalist of the Black Eyed Peas from 2002 to 2018. During that run, the group sold more than 80 million albums worldwide and topped the Billboard Hot 100 three times with “Boom Boom Pow,” “I Gotta Feeling,” and “Imma Be.”

When will.i.am confirmed her departure in 2017, he was clear about where things stood: “Nobody is replacing Fergie. She’s working on her solo project at the moment.” J. Rey Soul has since taken over vocal duties, but the original chemistry was never replicated.

The classic lineup got together quietly in December to celebrate all four members turning 50. Monday’s AMAs appearance was the first time that reunion went public — and went big.

Standing on that stage in Las Vegas, holding hands with the guys she once toured the world with, Fergie looked like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.