The 2025 American Music Awards, billed as the largest fan-voted awards show in the world, made a glitzy return Monday night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, honoring a dynamic roster of chart-topping talent and industry legends.
After a two-year hiatus, the AMAs stormed back with a live broadcast on CBS and streaming via Paramount+ with Showtime, reminding fans of the show’s cultural impact since its 1974 inception by Dick Clark. The evening was hosted by Jennifer Lopez, marking her second turn as AMA emcee—ten years after her debut in 2015. Lopez kicked off the night with a high-energy dance performance that set the tone for an unforgettable show.
Top Winners and Big Surprises
Kendrick Lamar, who led the field with 10 nominations, walked away with only one win, taking home Favorite Hip-Hop Song. Despite nods in prestigious categories like Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, those top honors went to Billie Eilish, who earned seven nominations and delivered one of the most talked-about performances of the night.
Post Malone, second in nominations with eight, surprised fans by dominating the country categories—winning Favorite Country Song and Favorite Male Country Artist. Emerging genre-blending stars Chappell Roan and Shaboozey, each with seven nods, made waves with strong showings but left without major wins.
In a surprising turn, Taylor Swift, the most awarded artist in AMA history with 40 wins, left the 2025 ceremony empty-handed despite receiving six nominations. Fan speculation was high that Swift might announce a new album or Reputation (Taylor’s Version) during the show. However, her absence from the event dashed those hopes—and kept Swifties on edge.
Legendary Moments
Janet Jackson received the Icon Award, cementing her legacy as a transformative figure in music, fashion, and performance.
Rod Stewart was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, closing the night with a nostalgic medley that brought the crowd to its feet.
Other performers included Benson Boone, Gwen Stefani, and a soulful duet from past AMA winners that bridged generations of pop and rock influence.
A Legacy Reignited
The ceremony followed last year’s 50th Anniversary AMA Special, which revisited landmark performances and paid homage to past icons. This year’s full-scale return made it clear that the AMAs still matter—to fans, to artists, and to the industry at large.
For those who missed the live show, it will be available on demand via Paramount+ beginning Tuesday.
A full list of nominees and winners follows below:
Artist of the Year
- Billie Eilish — Winner
- Ariana Grande
- Chappell Roan
- Kendrick Lamar
- Morgan Wallen
- Post Malone
- Sabrina Carpenter
- SZA
- Taylor Swift
- Zach Bryan
New Artist of the Year
- Gracie Abrams — Winner
- Benson Boone
- Chappell Roan
- Shaboozey
- Teddy Swims
- Tommy Richman
Song of the Year
- Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather” — Winner
- Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
- Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
- Hozier, “Too Sweet”
- Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile”
- Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help”
- Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
- Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
- Teddy Swims, “Lose Control”
Favorite Touring Artist
- Billie Eilish — Winner
- Luke Combs
- Morgan Wallen
- Taylor Swift
- Zach Bryan
Favorite Music Video
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile” — Winner
- Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
- KAROL G, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
- Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
- Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Favorite Male Pop Artist
- Bruno Mars — Winner
- Benson Boone
- Hozier
- Teddy Swims
- The Weeknd
Favorite Female Pop Artist
- Billie Eilish — Winner
- Chappell Roan
- Lady Gaga
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Taylor Swift
Favorite Pop Album
- Billie Eilish, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” — Winner
- Chappell Roan, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
- Charli xcx, “BRAT”
- Sabrina Carpenter, “Short n’ Sweet”
- Taylor Swift, “The Tortured Poets Department”
Favorite Pop Song
- Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather” — Winner
- Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile”
- Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
- Teddy Swims, “Lose Control”
Favorite Male Country Artist
- Post Malone — Winner
- Jelly Roll
- Luke Combs
- Morgan Wallen
- Shaboozey
Favorite Female Country Artist
- Beyoncé — Winner
- Ella Langley
- Kacey Musgraves
- Lainey Wilson
- Megan Moroney
Favorite Country Duo or Group
- Dan + Shay — Winner
- Old Dominion
- Parmalee
- The Red Clay Strays
- Zac Brown Band
Favorite Country Album
- Beyoncé, “COWBOY CARTER” — Winner
- Jelly Roll, “BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN”
- Megan Moroney, “AM I OKAY?”
- Post Malone, “F-1 Trillion”
- Shaboozey, “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going”
Favorite Country Song
- Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help” — Winner
- Jelly Roll, “I Am Not Okay”
- Koe Wetzel & Jessie Murph, “High Road”
- Luke Combs, “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma”
- Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Favorite Male R&B Artist
- The Weeknd — Winner
- Bryson Tiller
- Chris Brown
- PARTYNEXTDOOR
- Usher
Favorite Female R&B Artist
- SZA — Winner
- Kehlani
- Muni Long
- Summer Walker
- Tyla
Favorite R&B Album
- The Weeknd, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” — Winner
- Bryson Tiller, “Bryson Tiller”
- PARTYNEXTDOOR, “PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 (P4)”
- PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake, “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U”
- SZA, “SOS Deluxe: LANA”
Favorite R&B Song
- SZA, “Saturn” — Winner
- Chris Brown, “Residuals”
- Muni Long, “Made For Me”
- The Weeknd & Playboi Carti, “Timeless”
- Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby”
Favorite Male Latin Artist
- Bad Bunny — Winner
- Feid
- Peso Pluma
- Rauw Alejandro
- Tito Double P
Favorite Female Latin Artist
- Becky G — Winner
- Karol G
- Natti Natasha
- Shakira
- Young Miko
Favorite Latin Duo or Group
- Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda — Winner
- Calibre 50
- Fuerza Regida
- Grupo Firme
- Grupo Frontera
Favorite Latin Album
- Bad Bunny, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” — Winner
- Fuerza Regida, “Dolido Pero No Arrepentido”
- Peso Pluma, “ÉXODO”
- Rauw Alejandro, “Cosa Nuestra”
- Tito Double P, “INCÓMODO”
Favorite Latin Song
- Shakira, “Soltera” — Winner
- Bad Bunny, “DtMF”
- FloyyMenor X Cris Mj, “Gata Only”
- KAROL G, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
- Oscar Maydon & Fuerza Regida, “Tu Boda”
Favorite Female R&B Artist
- SZA — Winner
- Kehlani
- Muni Long
- Summer Walker
- Tyla
Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist
- Eminem — Winner
- Drake
- Future
- Kendrick Lamar
- Tyler, The Creator
Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist
- Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
- Doechii
- GloRilla
- Latto
- Sexyy Red
Favorite Hip-Hop Album
- Eminem, “The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)” — Winner
- Future & Metro Boomin, “WE DON’T TRUST YOU”
- Gunna, “one of wun”
- Kendrick Lamar, “GNX”
- Tyler, The Creator, “CHROMAKOPIA”
Favorite Hip-Hop Song
- Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” — Winner
- Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar, “Like That”
- GloRilla, “TGIF”
- GloRilla & Sexyy Red, “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME”
- Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther”
Collaboration of the Year
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” — Winner
- Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther”
- Marshmello & Kane Brown, “Miles on It”
- Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help”
- ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “APT.”
- Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone, “Fortnight”
Social Song of the Year
- Doechii, “Anxiety” — Winner
- Chappell Roan, “HOT TO GO!”
- Djo, “End of Beginning”
- Lola Young, “Messy”
- Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
- Tommy Richman, “Million Dollar Baby”
Favorite Rock Artist
- Twenty One Pilots — Winner
- Hozier
- Pearl Jam
- Linkin Park
- Zach Bryan
Favorite Rock Album
- Twenty One Pilots, “Clancy” — Winner
- Hozier, “Unreal Unearth: Unending”
- Koe Wetzel, “9 lives”
- The Marías, “Submarine”
- Zach Bryan, “The Great American Bar Scene”
Favorite Rock Song
- Linkin Park, “The Emptiness Machine” — Winner
- Green Day, “Dilemma”
- Hozier, “Too Sweet”
- Myles Smith, “Stargazing”
- Zach Bryan, “Pink Skies”
Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist
- Lady Gaga — Winner
- Charli xcx
- David Guetta
- John Summit
- Marshmello
Favorite Soundtrack
- Arcane League of Legends: Season 2 — Winner
- Hazbin Hotel (Original Soundtrack)
- Moana 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson and Cast
- Twisters: The Album
- Wicked: The Soundtrack, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Cast
Favorite Afrobeats Artist
- Tyla — Winner
- Asake
- Rema
- Tems
- Wizkid
Favorite K-Pop Artist
- RM — Winner
- ATEEZ
- Jimin
- ROSÉ
- Stray Kids
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