Awards
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The 2022 American Music Awards took over the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday night (Nov. 20), where some of the year’s biggest stars took the stage to deliver fan-favorite hits and brand-new tracks.
From P!nk, Carrie Underwood and Anitta to Imagine Dragons, JID, Stevie Wonder, Dove Cameron and Yola, this year’s AMAs had something for every type of music fan, plus a number of buzzworthy surprise appearances and onstage collaborations.
Additionally, this year’s show unveiled a new award, song of soul, which spotlights an emerging, mission-driven artist who has inspired change and aims for social justice through their music. The first recipient is Yola’s “Break the Bough.” Yola performed the song at the ceremony, marking her first AMAs performance. Bebe Rexha was also among the stars to step on the AMAs stage for the first time this year, delivering her Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit with David Guetta “I’m Good (Blue).”
The ceremony also featured an emotional tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John, who died in August at age 73. After opening the show with her new single, P!nk took the stage to perform John’s 1978 Grease classic “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
After Lionel Richie was honored with the Icon Award, Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth teamed up to honor his career with a mash-up of his hits including “Three Times a Lady,” “Easy,” “All Night Long (All Night)” and more.
Read on below to see how we at Billboard ranked the 11 performances of the night, counting down to our favorite performance of the 2022 American Music Awards.
An elegant black and red-swathed nightclub scene served up the perfect mesh of upscale sexy for Dove Cameron’s performance of her queer anthem “Boyfriend” during Sunday evening’s (Nov. 20) American Music Awards.
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As dancers swirled around in black suits, a single female dancer, clad in a sparkling red dress, served as Cameron’s choreographic foil and muse. The singer-songwriter spent the performance pursuing the dancer with her words and moves, while singing the song’s hook, “I could be a better boyfriend than him/ I could do the s–t that he never did.”
At the end of a verse, she kissed the dancer’s hand, and at one point, the two came close to sharing a kiss, before Cameron ended the performance by taking off her own black jacket (fully revealing the red strappy top underneath) and draping it over the shoulders of the female dancer, while lovingly caressing her face.
Earlier in the evening, Cameron picked up her first American Music Awards trophy, winning new artist of the year, and used her acceptance speech to address the tragedy that took place at LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday (Nov. 19), while also showing gratitude to the queer community.
“I want to start by saying that every award that I ever win will always first and foremost be dedicated to the queer community at large. You guys have carved out such a space for me to be myself and to write music about it and I’ve never felt safer or more loved or more supported and I hope I can give you some semblance of that same feeling in my music,” Cameron said.
“On the heels of the tragedy that happened at Club Q in Colorado Springs, I want to remind everyone how important queer visibility is, and how important our community is,” Cameron added. “And I want to direct your attention to organizations like GLAAD and The Trevor Project for what you can do right now. I want to remind you that you are made absolutely right, and you are so loved and so held, and I want to thank you for supporting me. Thank you for holding the space – I’m holding it for you, too.”
Dove’s “Boyfriend” reached No. 16 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in June. Earlier this week, Cameron was surprised with an RIAA platinum certification for “Boyfriend.”
Just after Lionel Richie took home the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards on Sunday (Nov. 20), Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth took to the Microsoft Theater stage to pay a lengthy tribute to the superstar.
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Appearing on the stage at a set of dueling pianos, the pair engaged in what Puth referred to onstage as a “musical tennis match of Lionel Richie copyrights” — essentially, ping-ponging off each other, performing hits from Richie’s vast catalog.
Wonder started off by throwing it all the way back to Commodores with his rendition of “Three Times A Lady” — though even after some adorable crowd participation, he relented, saying, “It still don’t sound as good as Lionel.” Puth countered with a song in Richie’s “best key” of A-flat major (“I know that’s the most ‘me’ thing to say ever,” Puth quipped), which turned out to be “Easy” also by the Commodores.
The two went back and forth for a while, before eventually landing on one of the biggest hits from Richie’s pen, “We Are The World” with Michael Jackson. Much like that original celebrity-packed jam, the stage filled with stars, including Ari Lennox, Muni Long, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmie Allen, Yola, Smokey Robinson and more. As everyone belted the lyrics out, Richie couldn’t help but rush up onto the stage to perform with the group.
In a message to “young superstars” during his acceptance speech for the Icon Award, Richie said, “When you hear the word ‘hip,’ it means today. When you hear the word ‘inspiring,’ it means forever. If you get a chance to have that light on you, understand what God has in store.”
Lionel Richie received the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards Sunday evening (Nov. 20), but he spent his time under the spotlight teaching the “young superstars” what it means to be in their position.
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Smokey Robinson presented the honor to “my brother, my friend,” joking about how often the two get confused for one another. “People have come to me many times and say, ‘Ooh, ooh, I love your music! I got everything you ever made. Would you sign this for me, Lionel?’” he recalled while being met with roaring applause. “So when they say that to me, I sign, ‘Much love, Lionel Richie.’ And he has done the same. People come to him and say, ‘Oh Smokey, I really love you!’ So he signs, ‘Much love, Smokey Robinson.’”
Richie’s 1983 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “All Night Long (All Night)” kicked off the tribute video, which featured Robinson, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry and Shania Twain showering him with praise and celebrating his legacy. “Clearly, a higher power chose Lionel Richie as a vessel,” Ne-Yo said in the clip, with his fellow American Idol judge chiming in by saying, “It’s almost like his hands are his magic wands and he’s like, ‘OK.’”
The 17-time AMA winner eventually appeared on the stage and thanked “Lionel” for presenting him with the Icon Award, while extending his gratitude to his children, the “mothers of my kids for keeping my kids together,” his manager Bruce Eskowitz and girlfriend Lisa Parigi “who is actually more of the adult in the room because she has to deal with me.” The 72-year-old superstar spent the remainder of his time on stage talking to the “young superstars.”
“God has given you a light. That light is special. That light is only given to a few. When you hear the word ‘hip,’ it means today. When you hear the word ‘inspiring,’ it means forever. If you get a chance to have that light on you, understand what God has in store,” Richie explained. “He’s not trying to tell you that your car looks great, your clothes look great. He’s trying to tell — He, She, Mother, God — is trying to tell you that you are chosen to inspire. Take this opportunity. That light is on you. Inspire. God bless you all. Thank you very much.”
Before presenting the nominees in the 2022 American Music Awards’ best pop song category, Kim Petras took a moment to speak from the heart. Following the tragic mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday (Nov. 19), Petras paid tribute to victims and emphasized the role of pop music in gay clubs.
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“I can’t stop thinking about Colorado today,” the “Unholy” singer began, “Gay clubs raised me, basically. And I can confidently say that no one loves pop music more than gay clubs. So, my heart goes out to you.”
On Saturday (Nov. 19), a 22-year-old gunman opened fire at Club Q, killing five people and injuring at least 18 others before he was subdued by patrons and arrested by police. The club released a statement on Sunday, nothing that they were “devastated by the senseless attack on our community.”
Petras is a vocal advocate of the LGBTQ community and became the first openly transgender solo artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 song chart alongside Sam Smith for their viral single, “Unholy.” Smith also achieved a noteworthy milestone, as the first openly non-binary solo artist to claim the spot.
Petras told Billboard in 2018 that she is proud of her identity and wants to bring more visibility to the transgender community, but she has something else that she wants to prove as well. “I think the ultimate goal for me is if a transgender person can be known for anything but being transgender,” she said. “There are still too many people who think being transgender is very freaky. And they think you can’t live a happy life and try to tell their kids not to transition because they’re afraid their life will be harder.”
Throughout tonight’s AMAs, many artists have spoken out on the shooting, including host Wayne Brady and AMA new artist of the year winner Dove Cameron. The former Disney Channel star dedicated the victory to the queer community, saying, “On the heels of the tragedy that happened at Club Q in Colorado Springs, I want to remind everyone how important queer visibility is, and how important our community is,” Cameron continued. “And I want to direct your attention to organizations like GLAAD and The Trevor Project for what you can do right now. I want to remind you that you are made absolutely right, and you are so loved and so held, and I want to thank you for supporting me. Thank you for holding the space – I’m holding it for you, too.”
Forget backup dancers and bombastic stage elements — Lil Baby appeared at the 2022 AMAs on Sunday (Nov. 20) and proved that his star power is all he needs to light up a stage and keep viewers engaged.
The rapper went the introspective route to spit not one but two tracks from his recently released album It’s Only Me: “In a Minute” and “California Breeze.” The performance kicked off with the former and saw Baby with sparse accompaniment on stage — just four musicians on drums, keys and guitar — plus introspective blue lights and smoke to evoke the moodier, stripped back vibe. When “Breeze” rolled in, the blue light was swapped for red light, and Baby lied on his back and reflected on all the hard work he still wants to put in: “Get my s–t together, feel like I done took two years off/ Bookin’ up my schedule, I ain’t rich enough to chill out.”
Both “In a Minute” and “California Breeze” hail from Baby’s 2022 album, It’s Only Me. Released in October, the LP spent four weeks on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart and peaked at No. 1. “In a Minute” was released as the first single from the project in April, at spent a total of 26 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at No. 5; “California Breeze,” meanwhile, is in its fourth week on the chart and peaked at No. 2.
Lil Baby was nominated for one award at this year’s AMAs — the rapper earned a nod in the favorite male hip-hop artist category and was up against Drake, Future, Lil Durk and Kendrick Lamar. The award, which was not cast during the broadcast ceremony, was awarded to Lamar.
Country and soul singer-songwriter Yola delivered a mighty performance on the Microsoft Theater stage in Los Angeles at the American Music Awards on Sunday night (Nov. 20).
This year’s recipient of the AMAs’ special “song of soul” honor, Yola was given the spotlight for a rendition of “Break the Bough” from her 2021 breakthrough album Stand for Myself. Playing with a revved-up backing band in front of a backdrop that included a skyline and palm trees, Yola also provided her own tambourine accompaniment as she belted out the song’s liberating lyrics (“See with eyes unclouded/ Feel with arms unbound/ You’re free to fly”).
Before the performance, host Wayne Brady introduced “Bough” as being about “about how far one can get on their own journey when negative thoughts and feelings are purposefully abandoned, and forgiveness is embraced along the way — flying high when you choose to lose the baggage.”
The honor is the first official AMAs recognition Yola has received, but she has already racked up six nominations at the Grammys — including a best new artist nod at the 2021 Grammys, and two at the upcoming 2023 awards, for best Americana album (Stand for Myself) and best American roots song (“Diamond Studded Shoes”).
Stand for Myself earned Yola her first entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart in August 2021, debuting at No. 196, and also reached No. 6 on the Americana/Folk Albums listing. “Diamond Studded Shoes” was named by Billboard‘s staff as one of the 100 best songs of 2021, finishing at No. 69.
P!nk pulled double duty at the 2022 American Music Awards on Sunday night (Nov. 20), following her opening performance with a passionate mid-show tribute to Olivia Newton-John and her eternal hit “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
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Wearing an elegant, sparkly dress rife with feathers, P!nk glided through “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and struck a different tone than her first performance of the evening, when she roller skated to her new single “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.” During the tribute, P!nk kept things simple, standing center stage and belting out the classic song as photos of Newton-John were shown on the big screen and fans swayed their arms behind her.
Newton-John passed away in August at the age of 73, leaving behind a pop legacy that included five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 chart. “Hopelessly Devoted to You” peaked at No. 3 and was one of three top 10 smashes from 1978’s Grease, also earning an Oscar nomination for best original song.
Over the course of her career, Newton-John earned 10 American Music Awards, beginning in 1974 with a favorite album – country win for Let Me Be There. She dominated the favorite female artist categories in the mid-’70s, winning in the pop/rock category in three consecutive years from 1974 to 1976, and she returned to win the category in 1982, following the smash success of her 1981 Hot 100-topper “Physical.”
Meanwhile, P!nk’s “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” precedes her upcoming studio album, Trustfall. Click here to read about her earlier AMAs performance.
Make no “Bones” about it — Imagine Dragons and J.I.D tore up the stage at the 2022 American Music Awards on Sunday (Nov. 20) with their performance of their new single “Enemy.”
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Starting out with a solo showcase, Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds appeared onstage to perform their latest song “Bones.” Accompanied by a handful of backup dancers and a black shirt that he refused to keep buttoned up for very long, the singer strutted around the gothic grayscale set, playfully singing along to the bouncy track.
Eventually, a splash of color arrived, announcing the transition to the big number. Launching into “Enemy,” Reynolds and his dancers worked the crowd while the set surrounding the band was ablaze. As the cherry on top of the performance, J.I.D made an appearance to deliver his slick verse right at the end, before high-fiving Reynolds and closing out the final chorus.
Imagine Dragons wasn’t simply at the ceremony for a high-octane performance — the Las Vegas rock group was nominated on Sunday in four categories, including favorite pop duo or group, favorite rock artist, favorite rock song for “Enemy” and favorite rock album. J.I.D’s only nomination was with the band for “Enemy.”
The performance was just one in a crowded field of star performers at the show — stars like P!nk, Anitta, Lil Baby, GloRilla, Carrie Underwood, Bebe Rexha, Charlie Puth and more all showed out on the stage on Sunday.
Bad Bunny led all artists at Sunday night’s show with a whopping eight nominations. Other superstars, including Beyoncé, Drake, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Adele, The Weeknd and Future, closely followed behind. Keep up to date on who took home which awards here.
GloRilla surprised the crowd at the 2022 American Music Awards Sunday night (Nov. 20) by bringing out Cardi B for the first television performance of “Tomorrow 2.”
In front of a fiery red city skyline, the 23-year-old MC revved up her motorcycle on stage and launched straight into the performance of her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, with her backup dancers gassing her up and their reflective, flashy outfits illuminating the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. No one was prepared for Cardi to arrive on the scene via a purple convertible and dive into her X-rated section of the song. While the AMAs telecast couldn’t handle the heat and bleeped out the majority of Cardi’s noteworthy verse, the kinship between her and Glo was palpable from the screen as they sweetly tapped each other’s elbows during their impressively coordinated choreography.
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Following their set, Glo and Cardi shared a warm embrace for one of the award show’s heartfelt moments. Both rappers were nominated for favorite female hip-hop artist at the 2022 AMAs, but Nicki Minaj took home the award.
Last week, Glo celebrated her first Grammy nomination for the Hitkidd-assisted “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” which is up for best rap performance. “I’m in disbelief. I don’t think this is happening for real. This crazy,” she told Billboard. “My team let me know, [but] I had to go look it up for myself because I had thought maybe they was playing.” But after this evening’s performance, the hip-hop newcomer continues to prove that this is just the beginning for her.