Drake and Cardi B are the leaders with eight nominations each at the 2018 American Music Awards, hosted by Golden Globe-winning "black-ish" actress Tracee Ellis Ross on Oct. 9 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

But it is Taylor Swift who will open Tuesday night's show, which appears on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern. The pop star is having a big week: She first broke her long-standing refusal to discuss politics and now she's going to give her first awards show performance in three years at the AMAs.

Swift is nominated for the top prize -- artist of the year -- where she will compete with Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Post Malone and Drake.

.@tiffanyyoung steps onto the red carpet at her first #AMAs. See more from the night: https://t.co/0w3rDYb7Mz pic.twitter.com/SdhXiibNzS — Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) October 9, 2018

Other performers include Cardi B with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, twenty one pilots and Jennifer Lopez.

The show will also pay tribute to Aretha Franklin, who died in August. The Queen of Soul will be remembered with a performance by Gladys Knight, Ledisi, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin and CeCe Winans. The musicians will pay tribute to her gospel roots and her iconic album, "Amazing Grace."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.