Discover The Exciting Dates For the 2025 American Music Awards!

The 2025 American Music Awards (AMAs) are set to air live from Las Vegas on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. The special will be broadcast simultaneously across the United States at 8 p.m. ET/5.p.m. PT on CBS and can also be streamed on Paramount+. This event marks a significant milestone as it is the first annual AMAs show since Wayne Brady hosted in November 2022, when it aired on ABC.

CBS plans to have future AMAs air on Memorial Day. The franchise moved to CBS following a star-studded retrospective special called American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special, which aired on October 6, 2024. This anniversary show was an overwhelming success, drawing record viewership of over 13 million and generating more than 61 million social media views—a remarkable +53% increase from the previous year’s ABC broadcast.

The AMAs are known as the world’s largest fan-voted award show. Nominees for this prestigious event are determined by key fan interactions reflected in Billboard charts, including streaming, album sales, song sales, and radio airplay. The American Music Awards were originally created by legendary producer Dick Clark in 1973 as a fan-based alternative to the Grammys.

Dick Clark’s vision for the AMAs was innovative; he aimed to recognize not just music industry professionals but also celebrate popular artists of the year, with an emphasis on engaging fans. This has evolved over time, expanding beyond its original focus on three broad genres—pop/rock, soul/R&B, and country—to include a wider range of musical styles such as hip-hop, Latin music, inspirational songs, gospel music, Afrobeats, and K-pop.

Dick Clark was not just an influential figure in the music industry; he was also a master showman. He received numerous accolades throughout his career. In 1990, the Recording Academy honored him with a trustees award, and later that decade, he was elected to the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Sadly, Dick Clark passed away in 2012 at age 82.

The American Music Awards are now produced by Dick Clark Productions under ownership of Penske Media Corporation (PMC), which also manages Billboard Magazine. This move represents a significant shift towards more interactive and fan-focused content within the entertainment industry.