On a winning spree

The 2025 American Music Awards made a glittering return to television after a two-year hiatus with a grand celebration at the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas. In a night filled with electrifying performances and emotional tributes, it was Billie Eilish who stole the show and won in every category she was nominated for, a stunning seven-for-seven sweep. Eilish, already a nine-time Grammy and two-time Academy Award winner, added multiple AMA titles to her name, including the coveted Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Hit Me Hard And Soft and Song of the Year for Birds of a Feather. She also secured wins for Favorite Female Pop Artist, Favorite Pop Album and Favorite Touring Artist among others. The AMAs, the largest fan-voted music awards in the world, also introduced new categories this year, including Song of the Year and Social Song of the Year, the latter claimed by Doechii for her viral track, Anxiety. Despite leading the pack with 10 nominations, rapper Kendrick Lamar walked away with just one win, Favorite Hip-Hop Song for his breakout hit Not Like Us. The ceremony featured show-stopping sets from artistes, including Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Benson Boone, Lainey Wilson, and Renee Rapp. Music legend Janet Jackson was honoured with the Icon Award, for her enduring influence and career spanning decades. Rod Stewart received the Lifetime Achievement Award, delivering a high-energy finale to close out the evening. The night was hosted by Jennifer Lopez, who doubled as the opening performer.

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