The 51st edition of the American Music Awards is set to take place on Monday, May 26, 2025, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with African music once again taking center stage.
Nigerian music heavyweights Wizkid, Rema, Tems, and Asake have all been nominated in the Favourite Afrobeats Artist category, alongside South Africa’s Grammy-winning sensation, Tyla.
Tyla’s inclusion follows her meteoric rise through 2023 and 2024, during which she solidified her place as one of Africa’s leading international exports. The Favourite Afrobeats Artist award was first introduced in 2022, with Wizkid making history as the category’s inaugural winner—an achievement that signaled the genre’s expanding global influence.
This year’s ceremony promises to be a star-studded affair, with global audiences tuning in as the event airs live from Las Vegas. Hosting duties will be handled by actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, who also returns to the AMAs stage for the first time since 2015. She is also slated to perform during the event.
The night is also shaping up to be a major one for rapper Kendrick Lamar, who leads the pack with 10 nominations, the most of any artist this year. His nominations include Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for GNX, and Song of the Year for Not Like Us, a track widely viewed as a direct response to his lyrical feud with fellow rapper Drake.
Lamar also dominates the Favourite Hip-Hop Song category, with three out of the five nominated tracks belonging to him: Like That (featuring Future & Metro Boomin), Not Like Us, and Luther (featuring SZA).
Post Malone trails closely behind with eight nominations. Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey each secured seven nods, while Taylor Swift—already the most awarded artist in AMAs history—picked up six nominations. Other notable contenders include Bruno Mars, SZA, and Lady Gaga.
Adding to the excitement, the AMAs will debut three new categories this year: Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Social Song of the Year, further broadening the scope of recognition for musical talent and fan engagement.
