The 51st American Music Awards (AMAs) were on Monday, May 26, 2025, at the
Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Hosted by Jennifer Lopez and broadcast on CBS and
Paramount+, the event is known for recognizing music industry wins through awards
that are determined only by fan votes on the AMAs site.

Billie Eilish swept the night, winning all seven nominations, including the prestigious
Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” Beyoncé secured
the titles of Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for “Cowboy
Carter,” which signifies her initial achievements in the realm of country music, or where
it all began for her. Megan Thee Stallion was acknowledged as Favorite Female Hip-
Hop Artist, whereas Post Malone earned his inaugural country awards. Bad Bunny was
celebrated as Favorite Latin Artist and for his album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” while
Shakira took home the award for Favorite Latin Song in the Latin category. Janet
Jackson received the Icon Award, and at the age of 80, Rod Stewart was honored with
the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Despite all the positives, the evening got a bit messy because of some major drama,
especially with Taylor Swift getting completely ignored. She was nominated in six
categories but ended up winning nothing. This is pretty surprising due to her large fan
base, and it is a fan voting system. She also holds the world record for most AMA
Awards (40), surpassing previous record holder Michael Jackson (27). To add to this
mystery, Taylor didn’t even show up. Some insiders claimed she was dealing with issues
involving her friend Blake Lively. hile others suggested she might be feeling the pressure
from all the public attention, but nothing has been confirmed. Fans have been
expressing their frustrations, with many people criticizing the AMAs for ignoring her
achievements over the past year. Twitter was buzzing with complaints, as Swift’s
absence and lack of wins seemed totally out of place on a night that was supposedly all
about celebrating fan loyalty.

The other oddity was in the presentation of the show’s so-called “live” performances.
Even though the show promised them as live shows, many attendees explained how
artists never actually stepped onto the stage at the theater. Instead, pre-recorded videos
were shown on big screens, while the vacant stage remained empty. This left fans
disorientated and disillusioned. The theater had a watch party ambiance to it, instead of
a live celebration, which left many unaware about transparency and also the decisions
made about the production of the event.

Though the 2025 AMAs were full of moments of victory and historic win, they were also
marked by absence, bewilderment, and growing skepticism about how the show is
made. What was intended to be a night honoring fan favorites, was instead a night where some of the biggest names in music seemingly failed to show up. What are your thoughts on this year’s show?