Art & Culture

Kendrick Lamar Tops 2025 American Music Awards as Show Heads to Las Vegas

  • Luke David
  • |
  • May 5, 2025
  • |
  • 5 minute read
  • |
Kendrick Lamar Tops 2025 American Music Awards as Show Heads to Las Vegas

The 2025 American Music Awards return on Monday, May 26, broadcasting live from Las Vegas for the first time in the show’s 51-year history. This year is the event’s first Memorial Day broadcast. After decades on ABC, the AMAs now move to CBS, airing live at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and streaming on Paramount+ in the United States.

Subscribers to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME can watch the live CBS broadcast. Paramount+ Essential users can stream the full show on demand the following day.

Key Takeaways
  • Kendrick Lamar leads with 10 nominations, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (“GNX”), and three Hip-Hop Song nominations.
  • The 2025 AMAs will be hosted by Jennifer Lopez on May 26 in Las Vegas, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
  • Fan voting is now open, with up to 25 votes allowed per category daily on VoteAMAs.com and Instagram through May 15.

Jennifer Lopez Returns to Host and Perform

Jennifer Lopez will return as host, a role she last held in 2015. She will also perform during the broadcast. Lopez has appeared on the AMAs stage more than ten times and has won three AMAs. She has sold over 80 million records, earned 15 billion streams, and reached 18 billion music video views. She is the only female artist to hold a No. 1 film and album at the same time and has earned over $3 billion at the global box office.

Kendrick Lamar Earns 10 Nominations

Kendrick Lamar is the most-nominated artist this year, appearing in 10 categories:

  • Artist of the Year
  • Album of the Year (GNX)
  • Song of the Year (Not Like Us)
  • Collaboration of the Year (Luther with SZA)
  • Favorite Music Video (Not Like Us)
  • Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist
  • Favorite Hip-Hop Album (GNX)
  • Favorite Hip-Hop Song for Not Like Us, Like That (with Future and Metro Boomin), and Luther

Lamar has previously won three AMAs. If he wins eight or more awards this year, he would tie Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston for the most AMAs won in a single year.

Post Malone Receives Eight Nominations Across Genres

Post Malone is nominated in eight categories, spanning pop, country, and collaborations. His nods include:

  • Artist of the Year
  • Album of the Year (F-1 Trillion)
  • Song of the Year (I Had Some Help with Morgan Wallen)
  • Collaboration of the Year for both I Had Some Help and Fortnight (with Taylor Swift)
  • Favorite Male Country Artist
  • Favorite Country Album (F-1 Trillion)
  • Favorite Country Song (I Had Some Help)

Malone has previously won awards in the rap/hip-hop and pop/rock categories. Winning in the country would add a third genre to his AMA history.

Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey Each Score Seven Nominations

Billie Eilish is nominated for:

  • Artist of the Year
  • Album of the Year (Hit Me Hard and Soft)
  • Song of the Year (Birds of a Feather)
  • Favorite Touring Artist
  • Favorite Female Pop Artist
  • Favorite Pop Album (Hit Me Hard and Soft)
  • Favorite Pop Song (Birds of a Feather)

Chappell Roan is nominated for:

  • Artist of the Year
  • New Artist of the Year
  • Album of the Year (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess)
  • Song of the Year (Good Luck, Babe!)
  • Social Song of the Year (HOT TO GO!)
  • Favorite Female Pop Artist
  • Favorite Pop Album (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess)

She is the only artist nominated in all three of the newly introduced categories.

Shaboozey is nominated for:

  • New Artist of the Year
  • Song of the Year (A Bar Song (Tipsy))
  • Social Song of the Year (A Bar Song (Tipsy))
  • Favorite Music Video (A Bar Song (Tipsy))
  • Favorite Male Country Artist
  • Favorite Country Album (Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going)
  • Favorite Country Song (A Bar Song (Tipsy))

Taylor Swift Nominated in Six Categories

Taylor Swift, the most-awarded artist in AMA history with 40 wins, is nominated in six categories:

  • Artist of the Year
  • Album of the Year (The Tortured Poets Department)
  • Collaboration of the Year (Fortnight with Post Malone)
  • Favorite Touring Artist
  • Favorite Female Pop Artist
  • Favorite Pop Album (The Tortured Poets Department)

Other artists with six nominations include Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Morgan Wallen.

Three New Award Categories Introduced

The 2025 AMAs introduce Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Social Song of the Year. These additions expand how artists are recognized, especially those who gain popularity through albums or viral trends.

Artists nominated in these new categories include Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, Teddy Swims, and Tommy Richman.

Fan Voting Details

Fan voting is open at VoteAMAs.com and on Instagram. On Instagram, users must comment with official hashtags under the pinned “VOTE HERE” post on @AMAs. Only one hashtag per comment is allowed, and the account must be public for the vote to count.

Voting closes for most categories on Thursday, May 15, at 11:59 p.m. PT. For Collaboration of the Year and Social Song of the Year, voting stays open until 5:30 p.m. PT on May 26, 30 minutes into the live broadcast.

Fans can vote up to 25 times per day in each category. On Turbo Days—April 29, May 6, and May 13—users can vote twice that amount. Turbo Days also apply to the two extended-voting categories on May 20 and May 26.

Luke David

Luke David

Luke is a writer of many mediums with over 7 years of experience, specializing in copywriting, content writing, and screenwriting. Based in Malaysia, his passion for storytelling began at a young age, fueled by fantastical tales and his love for the horror genre. What began as a hobby then blossomed into a diverse writing career, encompassing poetry, songs, screenplays, and now engaging articles. Luke's work has appeared in notable outlets like MovieWeb, Certified Forgotten, High On Films, and Signal Horizon. His talent for crafting compelling narratives has been recognized by being a Semifinalist at The Script Lab's 2019 TSL Free Screenplay Contest, placing his work among the top 3% of over 5,500 entries.

Read Full Biography

LATEST NEWS

Your Go-To-Place For All Things Culture

Sign up for our mailing list to never miss any events or important news.


You May Also Like

Sentimental Value Premieres at Grand Théâtre Lumière, Earns 19-Minute Standing Ovation
Art & Culture

Sentimental Value Premieres at Grand Théâtre Lumière, Earns 19-Minute Standing Ovation

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, Joachim Trier’s feature film Sentimental Value premiered in the…

Robbie Williams’ New Album BRITPOP Drops This Autumn with Tony Iommi
Art & Culture

Robbie Williams’ New Album BRITPOP Drops This Autumn with Tony Iommi

Robbie Williams has announced a new album titled BRITPOP, set to release in autumn 2025 through Columbia Records. While the…

Sotheby’s $186.1M Finale: Blue-Chip Icons Lead Resilient Art Market
Art & Culture

Sotheby’s $186.1M Finale: Blue-Chip Icons Lead Resilient Art Market

Sotheby’s ended its biggest May auctions in New York with a total of $186.1 million from three evening sales, which…