The clearest high points of the 2025 American Music Awards were Billie Eilish’s six wins, Janet Jackson’s Icon Award return, and Jennifer Lopez’s ambitious opening medley. The most arguable low points were the medley’s overstuffed, provocative style and a show that one contemporaneous review said favored legacy tributes over today’s nominees. “Best” and “worst” are judgments, not an official ranking.
What happened at the 2025 AMAs?
The 51st American Music Awards took place on May 26, 2025, at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The U.S. broadcast was scheduled for CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The AMAs’ published voting rules describe winners as selected through valid fan votes cast on Billboard’s website and through Instagram comments. Some winners were announced during the broadcast, with complete results posted online.
The night’s strongest moments
Billie Eilish made the awards story her own
Eilish won six awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, and Song of the Year for “Birds of a Feather.” Those top-category wins made her the evening’s clearest awards centerpiece. The official winners list records her victories.
Kendrick Lamar, the leading nominee with 10 nominations according to CBS News, won Favorite Hip-Hop Song. That gap between nominations and wins may have surprised viewers, but the result alone does not establish why voters chose as they did.
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Janet Jackson’s Icon Award had a personal note
Jackson performed “Someone to Call My Lover,” briefly incorporating Mariah Carey’s “Shake It Off,” before accepting the Icon Award. Variety reported that it was her first televised performance in seven years. In her acceptance, she resisted the label while describing the place of music in her family’s life:
“No disrespect in any way, but I don’t consider myself an icon. My family, myself, our dream wasn’t ever to be famous. We weren’t raised like that. We always had a special love for music, dancing and singing, and fame came with the result of hard work and dedication.”
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The remarks made the honor feel less like a résumé recital and more like a reflection on the work and family behind her career.
Rod Stewart’s family presentation closed the night warmly
Five of Stewart’s children presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. He later closed the show with “Forever Young.” Variety reported that Stewart said he was “absolutely flabbergasted” that his children were there. The presentation gave the ceremony a family-centered moment before its final performance.
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What could count as the worst moment?
Lopez’s opening medley was a spectacle—and a possible overload
Host Jennifer Lopez opened with a rapid-fire medley that Variety counted at 23 hits from the previous year. The routine combined quick song changes, heavy choreography, and kisses with dancers. Its scale and pace made it an obvious talking point; for some viewers, the same elements could make it feel crowded or distracting rather than exhilarating.
Tiffany Haddish turned the routine into a joke in the broadcast itself: “Our host has just danced to 23 hits in six minutes,” she said, adding that Lopez had “got all her steps in for the day” and “all her kisses in.” Us Weekly reported the remarks. The performance is therefore both a defensible highlight for ambition and a defensible low for viewers who found its pace or sensual choreography too much.
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The show’s balance drew a sharper criticism
A contemporaneous El País review characterized the ceremony as retro, arguing that legacy-star performances and honorary awards took precedence over current nominees and winners. It pointed to the absence of high-profile artists including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, and Eilish.
That is a criticism of the program’s balance, not evidence that all viewers disliked the show. CBS News reported that Swift had six nominations, no wins, and did not attend; absence does not establish a reason, and it should not be treated as proof of a snub or controversy.
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How to weigh the highs against the lows
| Moment | Why it worked | Why it may not have |
|---|---|---|
| Eilish’s wins | Six wins, including three of the night’s biggest awards, gave the results a clear center. | Viewers expecting different outcomes may have been disappointed; the results alone do not explain voter choices. |
| Lopez’s medley | Its rapid transitions and choreography made for an ambitious, memorable opener. | The same pace and provocative staging could feel overstuffed or distracting. |
| Jackson and Stewart’s honors | The performances, speeches, and family presentation supplied personal, legacy-focused moments. | El País’s review argued that legacy tributes took attention from current nominees and winners. |
On awards, Eilish’s sweep was the defining result. On performance, Lopez’s opener was the night’s most conspicuous gamble. On tone, the choice is between the warmth of the legacy tributes and the concern that they crowded out contemporary artists. Those are useful ways to assess the evening, not a measured audience consensus.
What the available numbers do—and do not—show
The figures attached to the night are specific reported facts: CBS News said Lamar had 10 nominations and Swift had six; Variety counted 23 hits in Lopez’s medley and described Jackson’s televised-performance gap as seven years. They do not establish audience ratings, social reach, or whether the broadcast was a ratings success. No audience figure is reported by the cited coverage, so a viewership verdict would be unsupported.
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