Music
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After an explosive start to the year between the Grammys, Super Bowl, SNL 50 and NBA All-Star Weekend, the worlds of hip-hop and R&B have finally given us some time to catch our breath.
On Saturday evening (Feb. 22), the NAACP hosted the 56th Image Awards, where Emmy-winning host, actress and singer Keke Palmer, was crowned entertainer of the year. In the music categories, Beyoncé took home outstanding female artist and outstanding album for her Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter. Chris Brown emerged as the most-awarded recording artist of the night with three victories, including outstanding male artist and outstanding soul/R&B song for “Residuals.” Continuing the overlap between 2025 Grammy winners and this year’s Image Awards triumphs, Doechii took home outstanding new artist and Kendrick Lamar scored two wins for “Not Like Us.” Notably, the Cynthia Erivo-led Wicked soundtrack won outstanding soundtrack/compilation album, while Tamela Mann snagged both gospel/Christian trophies.
As the NAACP led a weekend of celebration, the hip-hop/R&B community also had to hold space for moments of mourning. Impressions singer Jerry Butler passed last Thursday (Feb. 20); The Notorious B.I.G.’s mother, Voletta Wallace, transitioned the following day (Feb. 21); and on Monday (Feb. 24), a spokesperson for soul icon Roberta Flack confirmed the Hot 100-topping, Grammy-winning artist died that morning.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Rico Nasty’s comeback to Nardo Wick and 21 Savage’s latest link-up. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Ayoni, “2”
Built around jazzy piano chords, a pounding bass line and a sultry electric guitar, Ayoni’s latest track is a smoldering warning to those who dare test her gangster. “Simultaneously/ You were seeing her and loving me/ And now you’re here/ Lying at my front door,” she croons at the song’s onset, employing a haunting, almost sinister timbre that amplifies the cinematic nature of the track’s narrative. As the story progresses, Ayoni reserves the chorus for a moment of direct address: “I left the same time as you/ You thought you knew what I’d do/ But two could play too/ I could play you.” The scorned woman trope has gifted us with timeless R&B records going back to the Motown days, and Ayoni has found herself with a worthy addition to that canon. — KYLE DENIS
Jastin Martin, “28 Degrees In Houston”
Rising R&B star and Houston native Jastin Martin is back with her first track of 2025: “28 Degrees In Houston” is a heartfelt expression of longing, vulnerability and emotional dependency, particularly in moments of cold-weather solitude. Her smooth vocals and raw lyricism inject her explorations of relationship-minded emotions — missing someone, needing their presence, and reminiscing about past shared emotions, etc. — with gravity sourced from real-life experiences, ultimately making for a relatable joint that emphasizes the “B” in R&B. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
AzChike, “Whatx2”
Years of grinding have paid off for AzChike, who parlayed his ScHoolboy Q guest appearance and a “Peekaboo” alley-oop from Kendrick Lamar into a recent label deal with Warner Records. Chike continues to build on his momentum with his major label debut single “Whatx2.” The AzCult frontman rides the West Coast bounce in laid-back fashion, and while others are getting hip to the wave, he’s long been a believer in the movement. “She said, ‘You one of them ones,’ I’m like, ‘I’m already knowing,’” he boasts. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Joy Postell, “Show Me”
Baltimore’s Joy Postell and producer Mighty Mark have a jam on their hands with R&B cut “Show Me.” The song has a ’90s vibe, which goes perfectly with the dating commercial VHS tapes the singer has been posting on her YouTube channel to promote it. First, there’s Vanessa, the Cancer baddie; then there’s Stacy, who’s 100 percent muscle; and finally, there’s Linda, the entrepreneur. If you’re into this song, then you’ll dig “Play Nice (Mighty Mark Remix)” from last year. — ANGEL DIAZ
Durand Bernarr feat. T-Pain, “THAT!”
Back with a new album — and his first full-length project since he earned his very first Grammy nod earlier this month — Durand Bernarr continues his unpredictable, and rewarding, artistic evolution. Featuring collaborations with GAWD and T-Pain, Bloom continues Bernarr’s commitments to exploring the breadth of what progressive R&B can sound and feel like. “That” is a tender duet built around ethereal strings, finger-picked guitar and a distinctly ’00s melody that feels plucked from a Kirk Franklin & the Family arrangement. T-Pain’s trademark Auto-Tune adds some crackling verve to the generally laid-back soundscape, but it’s the way his tone marries with Bernarr’s that makes for a silky-smooth sound whether they’re harmonizing or singing in unison. — K.D.
Busta Rhymes, Akon & Vybz Kartel, “Crazy”
A Busta Rhymes-Akon-Vybz Kartel track was not on my 2025 bingo card! Since The Worl’ Boss made his return to the public, he’s been on a mission to drop the best music possible. Kartel even teased upcoming collaborations with Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and Drake in the near future. When it comes to “Crazy,” the trio goes wild, nearly losing their minds but also celebrating how great life is. The track reflects on freedom and ultimately delivers a bold message — they can’t be stopped. — C.C.
Chxrry22, “Just Like Me”
Chxrry22 is coming through with the female empowerment bops. “Just Like Me” keeps the First Lady of XO’s momentum rolling, following a cameo on The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow album. Riding a bass line mixed with the keyboard-laden bounce of Pharrell’s “Frontin,” Chxrry has no issue boosting her man’s ego, but just know she’s one step ahead of the game. Ultimately, the Toronto singer comes around to realizing she likes them “Just Like Me.” The 23-year-old is primed to deliver her anticipated debut album this year. — M.S.
Rico Nasty, “Teethsucker (Yea3x)”
Rico Nasty has always felt a bit ahead of the times, and this could be the moment the mainstream finally syncs up with her. Introducing both her new Fueled by Ramen era and forthcoming Lethal LP — her first project since 2022’s Las Ruinas — “Teethsucker (Yea3x)” is more of the rambunctious rock-rap we’ve come to love from the DMV MC. After expressing her desire to “pop out like a titty,” Rico spits, “Not with the bull, we not bool/ I keep a tool at your medul, just hit the pool/ He got the best f–kin face, I think I’ma use him for a mule,” effortlessly maneuvering a raucous soundscape courtesy of Rayman on the Beat & Imad Royal. — K.D.
J. Cole, “cLOUDs”
“Just wanted to share,” Cole wrote via his Inevitable blog. “Made this a few days ago, then I added a second verse and was like, ‘Man I got a blog now, I can put whatever I want up there.’ I didn’t have a title 20 minutes ago when I decided to really put this up. But now I got one…” Thanks to his blog, we now have “cLOUDs”— a deep, introspective reflection on aging, change and the state of the world, layered with sharp lyricism and intricate wordplay. The song navigates life’s uncertainties, standing firm in values, and resisting the artificial influences of modern society. It’s a powerful mix of self-awareness and social critique, making it a deeply thought-provoking listen. — C.C.
Nardo Wick feat. 21 Savage, “HBK”
Nardo Wick and 21 Savage spar for the first time since colliding on Wick’s “Who Want Smoke?” breakout hit. Savage steals the show on “HBK” with another menacing feature to continue his potent run of guest appearances. The duo channels WWE superstar Shawn Michaels’ Heartbreak Kid persona, while 21 paints the picture of traveling to rival territory to hook up with a woman but knows he’s still gotta watch his back. “She stay by the opps, so when we f–k, I grip my gun,” he raps. Is there a better ad-lib in hip-hop right now than the Atlanta rhymer’s “p—y?” — M.S.
Roberta Flack died on Monday morning (Feb. 24), and the music world came together to mourn the beloved R&B icon. The “Killing Me Softly” singer’s spokesperson announced the news in a press statement, writing, “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully surrounded by her […]
March 31 will mark six years since Nipsey Hussle was murdered in front of his Marathon Clothing store. The Marathon (Brand) is set to honor his legacy with the grand opening of Marathon Burger on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The official grand opening of Marathon Burger is slated for March 1, with a ribbon-cutting […]
Six powerhouse women – Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, LISA of BLACKPINK, Queen Latifah and Raye – will perform at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show also will feature a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Erivo and Grande are 2025 Oscar nominees for their roles in Wicked. Queen Latifah was nominated in 2003 for her role in Chicago.
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Erivo and Grande are expected to open the Oscar telecast with one or more songs from Wicked. All of the songs featured in Wicked were taken from the Broadway musical, so none were nominated for best original song, but the score by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz was nominated for best original score. Wicked received a total of 10 nominations.
The other women are expected to participate in “performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends.”
When the Oscars announced that this year’s nominees for best original song would not be performed on the telecast (but that there would instead be a single spot focused on the songwriters of those songs), some feared that music would get short shrift on the awards show. This announcement proves that that is not the case.
Oscar producers historically have focused on the best original song nominees, but they have been known to pivot when doing so would yield a prized booking. Three years ago, the Oscars featured a performance of the Encanto song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, even though that song had not been submitted for Oscar consideration and was not nominated.
Raye performed her song “Oscar Winning Tears,” from her album My 21st Century Blues, on the Grammy telecast on Feb. 2, where she was a best new artist nominee. Raj Kapoor, executive producer and showrunner of the 2025 Oscars, was an executive producer of this year’s Grammy telecast as well. These bookings constitute major coups for the British star, who swept the Brit Awards a year ago.
Kapoor and Oscars executive producer Katy Mullan will continue to announce talent joining the show leading up to the ceremony.
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
As Little Monsters everywhere gear up for the release of Lady Gaga’s hotly anticipated new album Mayhem, Mother Monster herself is giving them a glimpse of what they can expect from the new LP.
In a new interview for InStyle, Gaga spoke with Spotify’s head of global editorial Sulinna Ong ahead of her Little Monster Press Conference for the streamer. During their conversation, the “Abracadabra” singer shared a sneak preview of two songs — “The Beast” and “Perfect Celebrity,” respectively — that are featured on her new album.
Speaking about “The Beast,” Gaga revealed that the lyrics of the song see her “singing to a werewolf” that represents her. “The lyrics are: ‘You can’t hide who you are, 11:59, your heart’s racin’, you’re growling, and we both know why,’” Gaga revealed. “And somehow that gothic dream is not just about me in a relationship with this person that’s about to turn, but what if I was to just sing it to myself and the beast is Gaga?”
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When talking about “Perfect Celebrity,” Gaga mentioned that the concept of “duality” present in both her videos for “Disease” and “Abracadabra” continue in the new track’s lyrics. “The lyric is: ‘I’ve become a notorious being, find my clone, she’s asleep on the ceiling,” she said. “It’s this idea that we all, in a way, have our real selves and then our clone version that we project to the world. So there’s a lot in Mayhem about multiple yous or multiple mes and what it’s like to have those things be at odds with each other all the time.”
As for the inspiration behind her new project, the singer pointed directly to ballroom culture as a driving force that found its way into the album’s music and lyrics. “I grew up in New York City and I also was a student of Paris Is Burning when I was really, really young. And I was always inspired by the tremendous amount of grace, freedom, expression and joy of ballroom culture,” she said. I was lucky enough to be around some dancers that were a part of that life.”
Gaga continued, adding that she felt it is a “privilege” to be a member of the dance community, and to be embraced by those who have built such lasting institutions. “There are these spaces in the world where there’s an ability for the community to express and experience joy, even when life is not treating them that way,” she explained. “And I am still so inspired by it and to this day, it felt like a relevant thing to bring up in the [“Abracadabra”] video because it’s about resilience. I can’t think of a place where I’ve seen more resilience than in a ballroom.”
The news comes just one week after Gaga unveiled the tracklist for Mayhem (due out March 7 via Interscope), including singles “Disease,” “Abracadabra” and “Die With a Smile,” as well as the two new tracks she teased. Spotify’s Little Monster Press Conference — during which Gaga’s fans will have the opportunity to ask Mother Monster their own questions — is set to take place Thursday, March 6, at 6 p.m. ET, simulcast across Spotify’s social media accounts.
Selena Gomez is giving the glory of the Only Murders in the Building cast’s 2025 Screen Actors Guild award to costars Steve Martin and Martin Short. The day after their murder-mystery Hulu series took home outstanding performance by an ensemble at this year’s SAG honors Sunday (Feb. 23), the singer-actress shared a couple older photos […]
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will hit the road this summer for the Love Earth European/North American world tour. The first leg of the tour will kick off in Europe on June 18 at Dalhalla in Rättvik, Sweden before moving on to gigs in Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
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The outing will then jump to the U.S., beginning with an August 8 show at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C., hitting Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Denver and Vancouver before winding down on Sept. 15 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, with more dates to be added at a later time.
Young, 79, will be accompanied by the Chrome Hearts band, featuring his longtime collaborator keyboardist Spooner Oldham, as well as Promise of the Real members Micah Nelson on guitar/vocals, Corey McCormick on bass and Anthony LoGerfo on drums. The group released the noisy anthem “Big Change” in January, a grungy warning shot about a major revolution whose outcome is a jagged question mark.
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“Might be a politician/ Tryna say something new/ Might be your decision/ Now you’ve got to see it through/ Looks like a collision,” Young hollers in the tune whose video features the outspoken singer marching through the woods wielding an American flag and a giant boom box. “Ain’t the worst that you could do/ Might be bad, might be good/ Big change is coming to you,” Young warns.
Young debuted the Chrome Hearts band during a show last year and has said an album from the group is tentatively slated for release in April.
Tickets for the tour will go on sale on Tuesday (Feb. 25) via an exclusive pre-sale for Neil Young Archives members, followed by a general on-sale that launches on Friday (Feb. 28). To protect the prices set by Young, a release said that the tour will use Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange for all resales and make tickets mobile only and restricted from transfer. According to the release, this will mean that if fans buy tickets and cannot attend they will have the option to re-sell them to other fans at the original price using TM’s Face Value tool; this applies to all shows except those in Illinois, New York, Utah, Virginia and Canada.
Young has also partnered with Farm Aid — which he co-founded in 1985 with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp — to bring HOMEGROWN Concessions to the summer tour, which will bring sustainably produced, fair-priced family farm food served on compostable serviceware to venues.
After a lifetime of regular touring, Young took a break from the road during the COVID-19 pandemic and had planned to be back on stages for a huge tour with his long-running Crazy Horse compatriots in summer 2024 before cancelling the dates a few weeks in due to an unspecified health issue.
Check out the dates for the Young and the Chrome Hearts’s 2025 summer tour below.
June 18 – Rättvik, Sweden @ Dalhalla
June 20 – Bergen, Norway @ Bergenhus Fortress
June 22 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Tiøren
June 26 – Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle
June 30 – Brussels, Belgium @ Brussels Palace Open Air, Palace Square
July 1 – Groningen, Netherlands @ Drafbaan Stedpark
July 3 – Berlin, Germany @ Waldbühne
July 4 – Mönchengladbach, Germany @ Sparkassenpark
July 8 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Cannstatter Wasen
Aug. 8. – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Aug. 10 – Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
Aug. 13 – Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Aug. 15 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
Aug. 17 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
Aug. 21 – Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion
Aug. 23 – New York, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach
Aug. 24 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Center for the Arts
Aug. 27 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sept. 1 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Sept. 5 – George, WA @ The Gorge
Sept. 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Deer Lake Park
Sept. 10 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Sept. 12 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater
Sept. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
Leanne Lucas, the instructor whose Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance and yoga class became the target of a deadly stabbing in Southport, England, last year, is speaking out about the attack for the first time.
In a sit-down interview with BBC posted Monday (Feb. 24), Lucas recalled from start to finish how then-17-year-old Axel Rudakubana — who in January pleaded guilty to the murders of three young girls and the attempted killings of 10 other people at the July 2024 class — burst into her studio with a knife. As he began attacking the children in the room, Lucas sprang into action calling the police and urging the rest of the class to run to safety.
That’s when she says Rudakubana turned on her, leaving her spine, head, ribs, lung and shoulder blade severely injured. “I just knew that if I didn’t get out, everyone was going to die,” Lucas told the broadcaster with tears in her eyes. “I thought that he wasn’t going to stop until he killed everyone. I thought that he wanted to kill us all.”
Rudakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison, with Judge Julian Goose adding in his January ruling that the teenager would likely “never be released.” In addition to critically wounding multiple people, Rudakubana killed 9-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and 6-year-old Bebe King.
In the interview, Lucas recalled the agony of helping the rest of the children escape while enduring the pain of her injuries, for which she was later hospitalized. She noted that police have told her that the surviving children would not have made it out of the class alive if not for her and fellow organizer Heidi, who also assisted the fleeing children at the scene — but Lucas still feels guilt over the three girls she couldn’t save.
“That gives nothing for the children who did die … that doesn’t take that away,” Lucas told the BBC. “I just don’t know what else I could have done.”
The dance class was just one of countless Swift-themed events local organizers all over the globe put together during the “Anti-Hero” singer’s Eras Tour last year and in 2023. Before the attack started, Lucas remembers her students happily making friendship bracelets and chatting in a circle, with 9-year-old Aguiar apparently saying shortly before her death, ‘This is the best day of my life.’”
Swift personally spoke out about the killings one day afterward, writing in a statement, “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock …”
“The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders,” she added at the time. “These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
About a month later, Swift hosted some of the survivors and their families at her London Eras shows and personally greeted them backstage at Wembley Stadium.
Lucas told the BBC that she still has to take life “an hour at a time” amid her grief, but that Aguiar, Stancombe and King are the reasons she keeps going. “The only reason to survive is the fact that I did get out, and I am alive,” the instructor said. “The fact that the girls aren’t, I’ve got to stay alive for them. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
Pantera announced the dates for an extensive 2025 U.S. summer amphitheater tour on Monday (Feb. 24), with plans to hit 29 cities from July through September. The self-proclaimed “Heaviest Tour of the Summer” from the band featuring the lineup of core members singer Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown with guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante is slated to kick off at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA on July 15, followed by shows in Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Dallas and Raleigh, before winding down on Sept. 13 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL.
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The Live Nation-produced tour will feature support from Swedish metal icons Amon Amarth, with more opening acts to be announced later. Ticket and VIP pre-sales will kick-off on Tuesday (Feb. 25) at 10 a.m. local time, with a general on-sale launching on Friday (Feb. 28) at 10 a.m. local time here.
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After years apart, Brown and Anselmo reunited in 2023 for the band’s first major tour in more than two decades, with Wylde and Benante signing on to fill in for late band co-founders drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell. They went on to tour Europe and open for Metallica on their 2023-2024 M72 world tour and will appear at what is being described as Black Sabbath’s final reunion show with Ozzy Osbourne on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, U.K. alongside Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Jason Momoa, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Gojira and others.
Check out the dates for Pantera’s 2025 U.S. summer tour below:
July 15 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star LakeJuly 17 – Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music TheatreJuly 19 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 AmphitheatreJuly 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music CenterJuly 22 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music CenterJuly 25 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark StadiumJuly 26 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach TheaterJuly 28 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Broadview Stage at SPACJuly 29 – Gilford, NH @ Bank NH PavilionJuly 31 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts CenterAug. 2 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity CenterAug. 3 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity TheatreAug. 6 – Milwaukee, WI -@ American Family Insurance AmphitheaterAug. 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target CenterAug. 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union AmphitheatreAug. 22 – Auburn, WA @ White River AmphitheatreAug. 23 – Ridgefield, WA @ Cascades AmphitheaterAug. 26 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort AmphitheatreAug. 27 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia ForumAug. 29 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile ArenaAug. 31 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta AmphitheaterSept. 2 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance AmphitheaterSept. 3 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis PavillionSept. 5 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music CenterSept. 6 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino AmphitheatreSept. 8 – Birmingham, AL @ Coca-Cola AmphitheaterSept. 10 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans AmphitheaterSept. 11 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Park at Walnut CreekSept. 13 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
The 2025 American Music Awards (AMAs) is set to air live from Las Vegas on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. The special will air live coast-to-coast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
It will be the first yearly AMAs show since the one that aired on ABC on Nov. 20, 2022, with Wayne Brady hosting.
The 2025 AMAs will broadcast globally across linear and digital platforms and will honor the most popular songs and artists of the year while paying tribute to our country’s troops. CBS’ intention is for the AMAs to air on Memorial Day going forward.
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The AMAs franchise moved to CBS on Oct. 6, 2024, with a star-studded retrospective special, American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special. As the most-streamed AMAs in the show’s history, the special surpassed 13 million in reach and averaged over 6.1 million viewers, an increase of +53% from the last show in 2022 on ABC, the largest year-over-year growth of a music special or award show.
The anniversary show featured an all-star lineup that included Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Green Day, Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, Sheila E., Gladys Knight, Kane Brown, Nelly, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, RAYE, Stray Kids, AJ McLean, Jimmy Kimmel, Kate Hudson, Lance Bass, Reba McEntire, Samuel L. Jackson, and Smokey Robinson.
The American Music Awards bills itself as the world’s largest fan-voted award show. Nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on the Billboard charts – including streaming, album sales, song sales and radio airplay.
Legendary producer Dick Clark created the AMAs in 1973 as a fan-based alternative to the Grammys. The first two Grammy live telecasts in March 1971 and March 1972 aired on ABC. When the Grammys shifted to CBS for the March 1973 telecast, ABC looked for a show to fill that void and went with Clark’s fan-based show.
The show on Memorial Day will be the 51st yearly AMAs broadcast. (There were two shows in 2003 and none at all in 2023 or 2024.)
That first show in 1974 ran just 90 minutes. The show in the first five years had a tight focus on three broad genres – pop/rock, soul/R&B and country. It now recognizes far more genres, including hip-hop, Latin, inspirational, gospel, Afrobeats and K-pop.
Clark, a master showman, was a legend in both music and television. He received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 1990 and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1992. He died in 2012 at age 82.
The 2025 American Music Awards will air concurrently on both coasts. The AMAs previously aired on the West Coast on tape delay. This welcome change was introduced on the anniversary show last October.
Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Corporation. PMC is also the parent company of Billboard.