Billie Eilish, SZA and Eminem.
Billie Eilish, SZA, Beyoncé, Eminem, Post Malone, Becky G, and Gracie Abrams emerged as standout winners at the dazzling 2025 American Music Awards, held at the lavish Fontainebleau Las Vegas. With A-listers flooding the purple carpet and electrifying performances lighting up the stage, the night was nothing short of a musical spectacle.
Jennifer Lopez, pulling double duty as host and performer, launched the evening with a bang—delivering a jaw-dropping six-minute medley of 23 songs. “Tonight, the spotlight belongs to you,” she declared to the fans, “because this is the world’s largest fan-voted award show where you decide the winners. And this year, yes, there were more votes than ever before.”
Although Billie Eilish was unable to attend due to her ongoing world tour, she dominated the show with an impressive seven wins, taking home Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Hit Me Hard and Soft), and Song of the Year (Birds of a Feather). She also snagged Favorite Touring Artist, Favorite Female Pop Artist, Favorite Pop Album, and Favorite Pop Song.
Beyoncé also made AMA history by winning in two country categories—Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album—marking her first recognition in the genre at the show. SZA was honored with Favorite R&B Song and Favorite Female R&B Artist, while Eminem picked up trophies for Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Hip-Hop Album, despite not being in attendance.
The winning momentum continued with Becky G being named Favorite Female Latin Artist, Gracie Abrams securing Best New Artist, and Post Malone receiving Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Song. Doechii earned Social Song of the Year, and the powerhouse pairing of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars claimed both Favorite Music Video and Collaboration of the Year. Mars also won Favorite Male Pop Artist, while Gaga took home Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist.
One of the evening’s most heartfelt moments came as Janet Jackson received the prestigious Icon Award. Performing a medley including Someone to Call My Lover and All for You, she lit up the stage and shared in her acceptance speech, “I’m so grateful. I mean no disrespect in any way, but I don’t consider myself an icon. My family, myself—we never dreamed of fame. We just loved music, dancing, and singing, and the rest came through hard work and dedication.”
Another poignant highlight featured Rod Stewart accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award. Reflecting on his career, he shared, “The reason I got into it was because I had this burning ambition to sing. It’s all I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be rich or famous. And here I am, a few years later, picking up this wonderful award. Thank you so much.” He then delivered a powerful performance of Forever Young to a visibly moved audience.
The show also featured explosive sets from Benson Boone, Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Lainey Wilson, Alex Warren, and Reneé Rapp. Star presenters included Alix Earle, Cara Delevingne, Ciara, Dan + Shay, Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles, Kai Cenat, Megan Moroney, Nikki Glaser, Shaboozey, Tiffany Haddish, and Wayne Brady.
Leading the nominations was Kendrick Lamar with ten, followed closely by Post Malone (eight), and Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey with seven each. Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, and Taylor Swift each secured six nominations, highlighting the year’s most celebrated artists.
In a heartfelt nod to Memorial Day, several stars used their stage time to honor veterans and service members, adding a layer of gratitude and solemnity to an otherwise celebratory night.
As always, the American Music Awards stayed true to its fan-first philosophy, a tradition dating back to its creation by Dick Clark Productions. The show is now produced by Penske Media Corporation, the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, in partnership with Eldridge.
The night was a testament to the power of music, memory, and the voices that shape the soundtrack of our time.
