Nine years after stepping away from the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie was back on stage with her former bandmates. As per a report shared by Us Weekly, the fifty-one-year-old joined will.i.am, Apl.de.ap and Taboo at the 2026 American Music Awards in Las Vegas on Monday, as the group claimed the Best Throwback Song Award for their 2010 hit Rock That Body."'Rock That Body,' we did it," Fergie beamed. "Black Eyed Peas, 'Rock That Body,' American Music Awards 2026, let's go!"Fergie had left Black Eyed Peas to focus on her solo career. However, motherhood was also one of the major reasons why Fergie separated from the group in 2017. As per a report shared by She Knows, Axl, her son with then-husband Josh Duhamel, had arrived in 2013. The couple also parted ways that same year after nearly a decade together. After the news broke, her bandmates spoke up in her support. "We love her, and she's focusing on being a mom," Will.i.am explained. "That's a hard job, and that's what she really wants to do and we're here for her," he added."Fergie is our sister...she's always going to be our sister. But unfortunately our schedule is displaced by [her] wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%," shared Apl.de.ap. View this post on Instagram Instagram Postwill.i.am makes it clear nobody is replacing Fergie as Black Eyed Peas celebrate AMA nomination:ONE Musicfest 2025 - Source: GettyBefore their recent win, the Black Eyed Peas had already been riding the wave of their nomination. On April 15, the group fired up their Instagram with a TikTok montage backed by Rock That Body, marking their nod for Best Throwback Song."We're honored to be nominated for the 2026 @amas !! 'Rock That Body' up for Best Throwback Song… a song we made all those years ago, still making an impact today," they wrote.Around the same time, will.i.am, opened up to Ahlan about the group's long history with featured vocalists, and touched on exactly where Fergie stood in that conversation."Since the beginning of Black Eyed Peas, we've always had amazing vocalists that appeared on the mic with us," he said. "People like Macy Gray, Esthero, Debi Nova, Fergie. On Elephunk, there were several females that appeared on that album. Obviously, Fergie was the featured female, but on songs like 'Let's Get it Started,' it's Noelle [Scaggs], and then Fergie, songs like 'Latin Girls,' it's Debi Nova, and 'Request Line,' it's Macy Gray. We'll always work with good females," he added.He was equally clear on the subject of a permanent replacement."As far as replacing [Fergie], what people know The Black Eyed Peas to be, nobody is replacing Fergie. She's working on her solo project at the moment, we're on this brand-new experience, celebrating 20 years of Black Eyed Peas putting out music," he explained.Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas celebrated milestone birthdays together before their AMA reunion:The recent reunion had been a long time coming. As per a report shared by Us Weekly, the classic lineup got together in December 2025 to mark a shared milestone, as all four members turned fifty that year.Fergie, born Stacy Ann Ferguson, took to Instagram on December 13 to share the moment. She shared a series of photos with Taboo, will.i.am, and Apl.de.ap."Finally got to break bread and celebrate our milestone birthdays together," she wrote. "What a special night with my brothers, filled with so much love," she added. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe get-together came years after Fergie had been candid about the realities of stepping back. At a TCA panel for her Fox competition series The Four in January 2018, she opened up to reporters about the demands of juggling it all."As any hard-working mom knows, it is a delicate balancing act that I have to be juggling all the time with the different schedules, the family schedules, the work schedules," she said. "Sometimes I'm just a tired mom," she added.In the years following her exit, the group brought Rey J. Soul on board in 2018. Soul opened up to GQ UK in March 2024 about what it meant to step into such a tight-knit dynamic."They're like my big brothers and they're like my mentors," he said.will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas performs live on stage during the ibis RockCorps 2025 at Accor Arena on July 09, 2025 in Paris, France - Source: Getty That being said, Will.i.am made clear back in 2020 that Fergie had never truly been out of the picture. Speaking to Billboard, he shared that the group always made a point of staying connected."We try to keep in touch," he said. "We reach out every once in a while and say our hellos and happy birthdays and Merry Christmas and Happy Easter," he added.