American Music Awards
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Benson Boone took over the stage at the 2025 American Music Awards on Monday night (May 26) to perform his new single “Mystical Magical.” Wearing a patchwork purple suit glittering with rhinestones, the mustachioed musician kicked off his number by crooning, “There’s nothing colder than your shoulder/ When you’re dragging me along like you do, […]
After a banner breakthrough 12 months, Gracie Abrams has won new artist of the year at the 2025 American Music Awards — and she’s giving the glory right back to the people who got her there in the first place.
After Nikki Glaser read off the “That’s So True” singer as this year’s winner at the ceremony in Las Vegas (May 26), it was revealed that Abrams could not attend in person due to her ongoing global tour. The musician did, however, share a pre-taped thank-you message, which she started by saying that she was “so sad not to be in the same room as all of you tonight” before shouting out her fellow nominees — Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and Tommy Richman — “whose music and whose careers I admire so much.”
“The reason this means so much to me tonight is that I know this is a fan-voted award,” Abrams continued, looking casual as she addressed the camera in a blue sweatshirt. “This belongs to the community of people I’ve been lucky enough to learn from over the past few years of putting music out.”
“This belongs to you,” the Los Angeles native added. “Thank you so much for caring about the music.”
Abrams’ win comes nearly a year after she dropped her breakout album, The Secret of Us, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The Grammy nominee has since graduated from playing theater-sized venues to arenas, the likes of which she’s been performing in all over Europe, Asia and Australia this spring on her The Secret of Us Tour.
Her AMAs acceptance speech is far from the first time Abrams has made her fanbase the focal point of her successes. She’s long been cultivating a community with her listeners — dating back to when she simply posted snippets of her songs on Instagram before she ever even released anything — and in her April Billboard cover story, Abrams said that despite her career explosion this past year, everything “feels as connected as it did six years ago” when it comes to her relationship with her fans.
“I think the best use of me as a human being on this planet, at least right now, is trying to use my writing or storytelling to make as many people as possible feel connected to themselves and to this community,” she added at the time. “That is what I think I’m here for right now.”
Hosted this year by Jennifer Lopez, the AMAs are airing live on CBS as well as streaming on Paramount+. The night will also see stars taking home awards such as artist of the year, album of the year, song of the year and more, with Kendrick Lamar leading with 10 nominations.
Watch her speech below:
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Days after receiving stitches for a nose injury during rehearsals, Jennifer Lopez opened the 2025 American Music Awards “dancing [her] heart out” to a medley of hits — 23 to be exact — as part of an energetic six-minute blitz to kick off the show on Monday night (May 26).
J. Lo hit the stage in Las Vegas in a sparkling leotard that looked like a combination of her 2019 It’s My Party Tour wardrobe mixed with a couture spacesuit. Lopez, alongside her sharp dance team, ripped through routines surrounding an array of anthems that dominated streaming service playlists and radio stations throughout the last year.
She strutted across the Fontainebleau Las Vegas stage filled with laser beams and pyrotechnics to her own hit “Dance Again” as well as plenty of Kendrick Lamar bangers such as GNX‘s “Squabble Up” and “TV Off” along with his lethal “Not Like Us” Drake diss.
The 55-year-old kept the party going with choreography to Doechii’s “Denial Is a River,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” Tinashe’s “Nasty Girl,” Charli xcx’s “Guess,” Tyler, the Creator’s “Sticky,” Bruno Mars and ROSÉ‘s “APT.,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” Bad Bunny’s “NuevaYol,” Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and more.
In the midst of her performance to “Lose Control,” Jenny From the Block got the Sin City crowd riled up when she briefly made out with some of her backup dancers.
J. Lo showed off her stamina, going directly from performing to hosting for the night. She’s no stranger to the AMAs stage, previously hosting the award show in 2015.
“I had to kick things off by turning it up to the biggest songs of the year and dancing my heart out for all of you, but tonight, the spotlight belongs to you, because this is the world’s largest fan-voted award show where you decide the winners,” she said after her medley.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
05/26/2025
Musicians showed off their style on the red carpet for the awards show’s first time being held on Memorial Day.
05/26/2025
Alex Warren, whose hit ballad “Ordinary” has spent the last three weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 – and the last nine weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart – is set to perform on the 2025 American Music Awards, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
The 51st AMAs are set to “kick off summer” from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Monday, May 26. The show will air live coast-to-coast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
This will be Warren’s first awards show performance, though a performance on the finale of the Netflix series Love Is Blind on March 9 is credited with giving “Ordinary” a critical boost. Warren is considered a likely Grammy contender for best new artist. The nominations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards will be announced later this year.
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Warren, 24, is one of three performers announced for the AMAs so far who are in their 20s, along with Benson Boone, 22, and Reneé Rapp, 25.
Jennifer Lopez will host the show for the second time. Sir Rod Stewart is set to receive a lifetime achievement award. Janet Jackson is set to receive an ICON Award. All three of these artists will also perform on the show, along with Gwen Stefani, Gloria Estefan, Lainey Wilson and Blake Shelton.
The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted awards show. Tickets to the show are available now on Ticketmaster.
Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s AMA contenders with 10 nominations, followed closely by Post Malone with eight nods, and Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey, with seven each.
Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and Luminate, and cover the data tracking eligibility period of March 22, 2024, through March 20, 2025.
Fan voting is now closed, with the exception of collaboration of the year and social song of the year, which will remain open for web voting through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast via VoteAMAs.com.
The AMAs and Easy Day Foundation, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit organization committed to helping veterans transition to civilian life, will partner to present several in-show moments that celebrate veterans while raising funds for a variety of national and local organizations.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Jennifer Lopez is set to host the 2025 American Music Awards, which will air live coast-to-coast on Memorial Day, Monday (May 26), and she’ll also open the show with a musical performance.
On Thursday (May 22), Lopez took a break from rehearsals to chat with Billboard about hosting and performing. She had a surprising revelation — “I don’t love being a host, to be quite honest” — but she will no doubt give the hosting gig everything she’s got, which is a signature J.Lo trait.
We discussed her debut performance on the show in 1991, as a backup dancer behind New Kids on the Block, a mid-performance slip in 2009 (ever the trouper, she was back on her feet instantly), and a tribute performance to salsa legend Celia Cruz in 2013 that she regards as one of her favorite performances she’s ever done.
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This year’s show will be held at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. It’s Lopez’s second time hosting the AMAs; she first hosted the show 10 years ago. Other performers on this year’s show include Janet Jackson (who is set to receive the ICON Award), Rod Stewart (who is set to receive a lifetime achievement award), Benson Boone, Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson and Reneé Rapp.
Here’s our conversation, with just light edits.
The AMAs went on the air when you were 4 and a half. Did you grow up watching the AMAs and the Grammys?
Absolutely.
Did they kind of feed your dreams?
Yes, they did, absolutely. You can’t help but watch those [shows], being an artist or not even knowing you’re an artist yet, and just be pulled in by the performances and the incredible moments that you see, and people kind of being celebrated for what they do. It was just always amazing to see which moments kind of put a mark on your mind when you’re watching TV and those awards shows. And I do think it makes people who are young artists believe that it’s something you can actually accomplish.
Do you remember specific artists who had that effect on you when you were a kid?
I remember watching with my mom. She was a huge Diana Ross fan, and I remember seeing Diana Ross on the AMAs and the Grammys. I remember seeing all the Motown artists. Tina Turner was also a big one for me.
You’re the fourth music star to solo-host the AMAs twice, following Lionel Richie, Diana Ross and Pitbull. I’d say you’re all in good company.
Oh wow. Yeah, that’s good company. That’s a nice group.
I watched all 10 of your previous AMAs performances the other day – nice work if you can get it – and you really commit. You go all out. It’s like one of your songs says, “Go hard or go home.” You go hard.
I do go hard. I enjoy performing and I enjoy kind of pushing myself out of my comfort zone to do different things. I started as a dancer, so my performances are very kind of dance-oriented because that’s who I am at heart. I feel like I am a singer and I am an actress and I love doing those things, but I think I came out of the womb dancing. And my mother was a dancer, so I think I picked that up from her.
I grew up watching variety shows and specials headlined by people like Ann-Margret and Mitzi Gaynor. There aren’t many places anymore for that kind of all-around entertainer. Awards shows are about it. Just about all 10 of your AMAs performances were big production numbers with big production values. They gave you a showcase to show what you can do.
Yeah, that is true. There’s different things as an artist. I do films as an actor and I do my shows and my touring for my music. Trying to kind of bring those things together is never an easy thing and you don’t get to do that, but I think when you’re hosting an awards show, you get to sing a little bit and dance a little bit and people get to feel your personality and your energy.
I don’t love being a host, to be quite honest. I think that’s why it’s taken me 10 years to do it again. I do get – believe it or not – shy and nervous, but I do remember having a great time doing it back then [in 2015]. I felt like it was a good time to give it another try.
What do you remember about the 1991 show when you were a dancer behind New Kids?
Oh my God, I remember that was such an exciting moment for me. I had been hired as a dancer. This is before I was acting and singing and doing my own music. I was hired to be a backup dancer for New Kids. Just the idea of being part of that was such a big deal. I was right in the middle, in the center, and it was exhilarating, to be quite honest. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it and being around all the other artists and seeing some of the stars that I liked. It was so much fun.
You were just 21, and that was back when awards shows reached a massive audience.
Yeah, everyone in my neighborhood saw it. They couldn’t believe it was me. It was so much fun. It was a great moment.
In 2009, performing “Louboutins,” you did a dismount and fell on your backside, but what impressed me watching it was how quickly you were back on your feet. It was a split second. Do you remember that?
Of course I do. I just slipped and fell down for a second, but yeah, I got right back up. And it wasn’t as big a deal as everybody made it, but yes, I was a little bit hurt for a couple of days. That whole day I didn’t feel it because I had so much adrenaline, and the performance went so well.
In 2013, you did a tribute to Celia Cruz, in which you performed “Químbara,” “Carnaval” and “Bemba Colorá.” Did you know her?
I did not know her very closely, but I had met her. I was always such a huge fan of hers. Like the minute they asked me to do the Celia Cruz tribute, I knew exactly what songs I wanted to do. I knew exactly the type of number that I wanted to do. It was an amazing moment. I felt kind of her energy flowing through me. That’s probably one of my favorite performances of all time that I’ve done.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
The 2025 American Music Awards will showcase a wide range of performers, from 22-year-old Benson Boone, who has back-flipped his way to stardom in the past year, to 80-year-old Sir Rod Stewart, who is set to receive a lifetime achievement award. This will mark Stewart’s first time on the AMAs stage since 2004.
The show, which is being held on Memorial Day for the first time, is set to kick off summer from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Monday, May 26. The 51st AMAs will air live coast to coast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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This will mark the first regular American Music Awards broadcast since the show that aired in November 2022, and the first one to air on CBS. The show was a fixture on ABC from 1974 to 2022, and it will mark the first one not held in the Los Angeles area.
Jennifer Lopez is hosting the show for the second time. She previously hosted in 2015, when she opened the show with a performance of her 1999 hit “Waiting for Tonight” leading into a dance medley of the year’s biggest hits.
Two other performers on this year’s show are past AMAs hosts. Stewart co-hosted in 1989 with Anita Baker, Debbie Gibson and Kenny Rogers. Gloria Estefan co-hosted in 1990 with Alice Cooper, Anita Baker and The Judds, and in 1993 with Bobby Brown and Wynonna. Estefan will mark her first performance on the AMAs in 32 years, celebrating five decades of her career in music.
As previously announced, Janet Jackson will receive the Icon Award, which recognizes an artist whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry. The 11-time American Music Award-winner will also take the stage, marking her first television performance since 2018.
Gwen Stefani will perform a medley celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut solo album Love.Angel.Music.Baby, including her Billboard Hot 100-topping smash “Hollaback Girl,” and a song from her newest album, Bouquet, which was released in November.
Fresh from winning four awards at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards, country music star Lainey Wilson will perform.
Breakout artist and first-time American Music Award nominee Benson Boone will perform his latest single, “Mystical Magical,” from his upcoming sophomore album American Heart, which is due June 20.
Three-time American Music Award winner Blake Shelton will make his AMAs performance debut with a track from his new album, For Recreational Use Only, which was released on May 9.
Reneé Rapp will also make her AMAs debut, performing new music off her upcoming sophomore album.
The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted award show. Tickets to the show are available now on Ticketmaster.
Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s nominees with 10 nominations, followed closely by Post Malone with eight nods, and Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey with seven each.
Nominees are based on key fan interactions — as reflected on the Billboard charts — including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and Luminate, and cover the data tracking eligibility period of March 22, 2024, through March 20, 2025.
Fan voting is now closed with the exception of collaboration of the year and social song of the year, which will remain open for web voting through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast via VoteAMAs.com.
The AMAs and Easy Day Foundation, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit organization committed to helping veterans transition to civilian life, will partner to present several in-show moments that celebrate veterans while raising funds for a variety of national and local organizations.
The 2025 American Music Awards will re-air on MTV (Tuesday, May 27, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), CMT (Wednesday, May 28, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and BET (Thursday, May 29, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
The show will also livestream on Harmony, Penske Media’s proprietary live streaming platform that can be viewed across Penske Media’s owned and operated websites, including Variety, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, WWD, Deadline, Vibe, IndieWire and Gold Derby.
The AMAs have also identified additional presenters and participants, including Nikki Glaser, who hosted this year’s Golden Globe Awards and has already been tapped to host next year’s show. Other presenters and participants include Tiffany Hadish and Wayne Brady, who have hosted other awards shows, and Shaboozey, who amassed seven AMA nominations this year.
Here is a list of performers and presenters on the 2025 American Music Awards. Additional names will be added as they are announced.
Performers
Benson Boone
Blake Shelton
Gloria Estefan
Gwen Stefani
Janet Jackson (Icon Award recipient)
Jennifer Lopez (host)
Lainey Wilson
Reneé Rapp
Rod Stewart (Lifetime Achievement Award recipient)
Participants & Presenters
Alix Earle
Cara Delevingne
Ciara
Dan + Shay
Dylan Efron
Jordan Chiles
Kai Cenat
Megan Moroney
Nikki Glaser
Shaboozey
Tiffany Haddish
Wayne Brady
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
If it seems as if Jennifer Lopez has been a part of the American Music Awards for decades, well, she has. Lopez was just 21 in 1991 when she made her AMAs debut as a dancer behind New Kids on the Block. She first performed on the show as a star attraction in 2001. She […]
Sir Rod Stewart is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 2025 American Music Awards. He will also perform one of his classics, marking his first time on the AMAs stage since 2004 when he performed the Louis Armstrong classic “What a Wonderful World.” The ballad was featured on his Billboard 200-topping and Grammy-winning album Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III.
Stewart, 80, is one of several artists set to perform on this year’s AMAs who are over 50. Others are host Jennifer Lopez, 55; Gwen Stefani, also 55; ICON Award recipient Janet Jackson, 59; and Gloria Estefan, 67. (To be sure, the show has also booked such younger performers as Benson Boone, 22; Reneé Rapp, 25; Lainey Wilson, 33; and Blake Shelton, 48.) This dramatizes how TV producers like to build a big tent to attract audiences of all ages and musical persuasions.
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The AMAs are set to “kick off summer” from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, on Monday, May 26. The 51st AMAs will air live coast to coast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Stewart, who co-hosted the AMAs in 1989 with Anita Baker, Debbie Gibson and Kenny Rogers, has received several previous lifetime achievement accolades, including a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1993; a Legend Award from the World Music Awards, 1993; the Ivor Novello Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999; induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, 2006; and the ASCAP Founders Award, 2011.
Stewart is also a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was enshrined as a solo artist in 1994 and with Faces in 2012.
“Sir Rod Stewart is a master showman whose charisma and energy have defied time and embody the very spirit of rock and roll,” executive producers Barry Adelman, evp, television, and Alexi Mazareas, svp, programming & development, Dick Clark Productions, said in a joint statement. “We are looking forward to another epic performance on the AMAs stage as well as celebrating his incredible body of work when he receives the Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Stewart has amassed four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. His No. 1 singles are the double-sided smash “Maggie May”/“Reason to Believe” (1971), “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (1976-77), “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” (1979) and “All for Love,” a collab with Bryan Adams and Sting (1994). His No. 1 albums are Every Picture Tells a Story (1971), Blondes Have More Fun (1979), Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004) and Still the Same…Great Rock Classics of Our Time (2006).
This summer, Stewart will launch the North American leg of his “One Last Time” world tour, which ranked among the Top 20 Global Concert Tours of 2024. He’ll return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in May-June and September-October 2025 with “The Encore Shows.”
The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted awards show. Tickets to the show are available now on Ticketmaster.
Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s AMA contenders with 10 nominations, followed closely by Post Malone with eight nods, and Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey, with seven each.
Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and Luminate, and cover the data tracking eligibility period of March 22, 2024, through March 20, 2025.
Fan voting is now closed, with the exception of collaboration of the year and social song of the year, which will remain open for web voting through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast via VoteAMAs.com.
The AMAs and Easy Day Foundation, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit organization committed to helping veterans transition to civilian life, will partner to present several in-show moments that celebrate veterans while raising funds for a variety of national and local organizations.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
2025 American Music Awards nominees Benson Boone and Lainey Wilson have been added as performers on this year’s show, which will air live from Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Monday, May 26. Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani and Reneé Rapp have also been added as performers, joining the previously announced Jennifer Lopez (who is also hosting) and Janet Jackson (who will receive an ICON Award).
The 51st AMAs will air live coast-to-coast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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Breakout artist and first-time American Music Award nominee Benson Boone will perform his latest single “Mystical Magical,” from his upcoming sophomore album American Heart, which is due June 20.
Three-time American Music Award winner Blake Shelton will make his AMAs performance debut with a track from his new album For Recreational Use Only, which was released on May 9.
Gloria Estefan will mark her first performance on the AMAs in 32 years, celebrating five decades of her career in music. Estefan co-hosted the AMAs twice – in 1990 (with Alice Cooper, Anita Baker and The Judds) and again in 1993 (with Bobby Brown and Wynonna Judd).
American Music Award winner Gwen Stefani will perform a medley celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut solo album Love.Angel.Music.Baby, including her Billboard Hot 100-topping smash “Hollaback Girl,” and a song from her newest album Bouquet, which was released in November.
Fresh from winning four awards at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards, country music star Lainey Wilson will perform. Wilson has recently headlined shows across Europe ahead of embarking on the U.S. leg of her Whirlwind World Tour.
Pop star Reneé Rapp will make her AMAs performance debut with new music off her upcoming sophomore album. Rapp performed on the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, on the Extended Play stage, a platform for new and breaking artists.
As previously announced, Janet Jackson will receive the ICON Award, which recognizes an artist whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry. The 11-time American Music Award-winner will also take the stage, marking her first television performance since 2018.
Fan voting is now open via VoteAMAs.com and the @AMAs Instagram profile in all award categories. Voting closes tonight (Thursday, May 15) at 11:59:59 p.m. PT, with the exception of collaboration of the year and social song of the year, which will remain open for web voting through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast.
Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s nominees with 10 nominations, followed closely by Post Malone with eight nods, and Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey, with seven each.
American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Nominees are based on key fan interactions – as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and Luminate, and cover the data tracking eligibility period of March 22, 2024, through March 20, 2025.
The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted awards show. Tickets to show are available now on Ticketmaster.
This Memorial Day, the AMAs will pay special tribute to our U.S. troops and veterans through performances and moments.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.