American Music Awards' 50th Anniversary Special Will Include Appearances by Mariah Carey, Brad Paisley and Jennifer Lopez

Mar. 15, 2025

Mariah Carey; Chaka Khan; Brad Paisley.Photo:Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; John Shearer/Getty; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; John Shearer/Getty; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

The American Music Awards' 50th Anniversary Special is going to be a star-studded affair.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, CBS and Dick Clark Productions announced that the special — which is being held in place of the usual American Music Awards ceremony to commemorate 50 years of the show — will feature performances fromBrad Paisley,Chaka Khan,Gladys Knight,Green Day,Jennifer Hudson,Kane Brown,Mariah Carey,RAYEandStray Kids.

Additionally, special guests and announcers for the event, will includeCarrie Underwood, who has won 17 AMAs over her career, multiple award-winnersGloria EstefanandJennifer Lopez, and 5-time AMA hostJimmy Kimmel.

CBS dubbed the special as “an evening celebrating half a century of groundbreaking music, iconic moments, unforgettable performances, and rich pop culture history.” The two-hour show is set to air on Sunday, Oct. 6 — making it the first AMAs event since the last American Music Awards aired in November 2022. The regular AMAs will air in May 2025, CBS added.

Gladys Knight performs in 2023.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

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Green Daywill be “celebrating the history of Rock music” with a performance of their hit track “Dilemma,” and Jennifer Hudson is set to honorWhitney Houstonwith a tribute performance. Kane Brown will “celebrate the legacy of Country Music at the American Music Awards with a performance of classic and current hits,” and Mariah Carey will celebrate 20 years of her recordThe Emancipation of Mimi.

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Stray Kids in 2022.JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty

JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty

Singer-songwriter RAYE is set to perform the James Brown track “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” following a retrospective on the American Music Award of Merit, and K-pop group Stray Kids will honor the legacy of boybands at the AMAs.

The special will also “serve as a tribute to the past 50 years and feature dazzling new performances, heartfelt artist interviews, legendary special guests, and exclusive never-before-seen footage from DCP’s extensive archives, highlighting iconic moments that have defined the awards show and shaped pop culture,” CBS said in the press release.

American Music Awards’ 50th Anniversary Special air on CBS and stream Paramount+ (live for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers) at 8 ET/5PT on Oct. 6.

source: people.com