A Night to Remember: AMAs 2025 Light Up Las Vegas with Star Power, Surprises & Show-Stopping Moments! 🇺🇸🎶

The American Music Awards lit up Las Vegas this Monday night with jaw-dropping performances, heartfelt speeches, and some unexpected wins that had fans buzzing long after the curtains closed. From living legends like Janet Jackson and Gloria Estefan bringing the house down, to rising stars like Benson Boone and Reneé Rapp staking their claim on the industry—this year’s AMAs had it all.

💃 A Dance-Driven Opening Like No Other

Right out the gate, the show made it clear: it wasn’t playing around.

Jennifer Lopez, who doubled as host for the evening, kicked off the night with a brief but dazzling vocal nod to her hit “Dance Again.” That was just the teaser. Moments later, she led an electrifying dance medley celebrating 23 of the year’s chart-topping hits. It was a mashup extravaganza featuring tributes to artists like Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Shaboozey, and Beyoncé. From pulsating lights to perfect choreography, the opening act set the bar sky-high.

🏆 SZA’s Star Just Keeps Rising

One of the early headline-makers of the night was none other than SZA, who’s been dominating playlists and award shows alike.

• Winner: Favorite R&B Song for “Saturn”

• Winner: Favorite Female R&B Artist

During her acceptance speech, SZA kept it real and humble.

"I'm so grateful for everyone that worked on this song,” she said, holding back tears. “It’s all love."

She may have missed out on Artist of the Year, Favorite R&B Album, and Collaboration of the Year, but trust us—this was still a massive night for her.

🎤 Janet Jackson Returns… And It's Everything

What do you do when you're handed an Icon Award? If you're Janet Jackson, you remind the world why you earned it.

For her first televised performance in seven years, Janet treated fans to a throwback medley featuring:

• “Someone to Call My Lover”

• “All for You”

In her acceptance speech, Janet shared a heartfelt message:

“I’ve never really thought of myself as an icon. My family and I just had a special love for music. Honestly, our story… it’s a true American story. It could only happen here."

She ended with a message to aspiring artists:

“I hope I’ve inspired someone out there to follow their dreams.”

Goosebumps. Literal goosebumps.

🎶 Latin Heat: Becky G Honored

The Latin category brought serious emotion when Becky G snagged the award for Favorite Female Latin Artist.

In her speech, she gave props to her fellow nominees and didn't miss the chance to speak from the heart:

“I know this award wouldn't be possible without those who came before us. I dedicate this to the Chicana community. You are my heart."

The audience lit up with applause, and honestly, it was one of the most genuine moments of the night.

🌟 New Faces, Big Wins

The next generation of music stars wasn’t just watching from the sidelines—they were owning the stage and scooping up trophies.

• Gracie Abrams (nominated for Album of the Year) bagged New Artist of the Year.

• Eminem, although not present, was honored as Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist. (Classic Slim Shady move—winning big and not showing up.)

And if we’re being real, it felt like a moment of symbolic passing of the torch—young guns proving they’re ready for the spotlight.

🔥 Performances That Had Us Screaming

What’s an award show without some high-octane performances? This year, the AMAs delivered and then some. Here are a few show-stealers:

🎤 Lainey Wilson

Nominated for Favorite Female Country Artist, she performed an emotional rendition of “Somewhere Over Laredo.” You could feel every word.

🎸 Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani

Blake made his AMA debut with “Stay Country or Die Tryin’,” while Gwen gave us a full throwback with her new hit “Swallow My Tears” followed by crowd-pleasers “Sweet Escape” and “Hollaback Girl.”
Yes, the crowd went bananas—B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

✨ Benson Boone

Five-time nominee Benson Boone made a bold impression with his performance of “Mystical Magical.” Oh, and he did his signature backflip mid-performance. No big deal.

Here’s what Benson was nominated for:

• New Artist of the Year

• Favorite Male Pop Artist

• Favorite Pop Song

• Favorite Music Video

• Song of the Year for “Beautiful Things”

Talk about a breakout moment.

🎭 Reneé Rapp

Another artist to keep an eye on: Reneé Rapp, who gave a hauntingly beautiful performance of her track “Leave Me Alone” from her upcoming album Bite Me. The crowd was all in.

🕺 A Touch of Miami Vibes

To add a burst of nostalgia, the AMAs invited the legendary Gloria Estefan on stage—and wow, did she deliver.

Her mini-set included:

• “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You”

• “La Vecina (No Sé Na')”

• “Conga”

By the end of her performance, it felt like all of Vegas had transformed into a South Beach street party.

🏁 Wrapping Up a Legendary Night

From jaw-dropping performances to emotional speeches, the 2025 American Music Awards reminded us why we love this industry so much. Whether it was icons returning to the spotlight, fresh faces making a splash, or genre lines being blurred in the best way possible—this night had something for everyone.

Let’s break it down one last time…

✨ AMA 2025 Highlights Recap

• 🏆 SZA slayed with two big wins and a moving speech.

• 👑 Janet Jackson proved once again why she’s music royalty.

• 🔥 Becky G paid tribute to her roots while claiming her crown.

• 🎤 Jennifer Lopez’s killer opening set the tone for the entire night.

• 🚀 Benson Boone and Gracie Abrams showed us the future is bright.

• 🎶 Blake, Gwen, Reneé, and Lainey brought range, power, and passion.

• 💃 Gloria Estefan brought the heat and got everyone dancing.

So, whether you were watching from the nosebleeds or streaming from your couch, there’s no denying—AMAs 2025 was one for the books.