Ariana Grande breaks down in tears as she was pronounced the winner at the American Music Awards

Ariana, 22 faced some tough competition from Meghan Trainor and Taylor Swift for the Best Female Pop/Rock Artist of the Year.

However, the public decided to choose her as their winner - an honour she was apparently seriously grateful for.

Ariana Grande's showed her emotional side at the American Music Awards.

The modest brunette beauty appeared to be in shock when she heard her name called out.

After kissing her 90-year-old grandma, whom she calls Nonna, Ariana made her way on stage.

"I just want to thank my fans - I have the most incredible fans," she said before turning her head away as if to wipe a tear.

"Eww I'm crying! But I love you guys. Thank you so, so much."

Ariana then shifted the focus onto her gran, who was beaming with pride in the audience.

"I also want to say thank you to my family who are here tonight," the singer added. "I owe a lot of this to my Nonna!"