American Music Awards Reached Record 12.9 Million Viewers With Special Anniversary Grand Comeback

The American Music Awards 50th anniversary special broke viewership records last week. The special featured performances from Green Day, Mariah Carey, Brad Paisley, Raye, and Stray Kids, among others, and marked a significant 54 percent increase in viewership since the awards show last aired in 2022.

The AMAs have been on a brief hiatus since 2022 when it found a new broadcast home on CBS following the end of a long-time contract with ABC. There was no ceremony in 2023, and the show is currently scheduled to return in May 2025 during Memorial Day weekend. The anniversary special proved to be a promising holdover, surpassing more than 12.9 million in overall reach.

The show was also boosted by social media, where clips of Raye performing James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and Stray Kids paying homage to *NSYNC went viral. Additional appearances were made by Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Chaka Khan, Sheila E., Gladys Knight, Kane Brown, Nelly, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, AJ McLean, Jimmy Kimmel, Kate Hudson, Lance Bass, Reba McEntire, Samuel L. Jackson, and Smokey Robinson.

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No awards were presented during the show, which put a pause on the signature fan voting that the AMAs are known for. The anniversary special was a purely celebratory event with live performances and tributes to music legends from James Brown to Whitney Houston filling the hour-and-a-half time slot. The trophies will return when the standard AMAs make a comeback in 2025.

Dick Clark Productions, which produces the American Music Awards, is owned by Rolling Stone’s parent company Penske Media Corporation in partnership with the holding company Eldridge.