The 2025 American Music Awards were supposed to be a big comeback moment after a two-year break. Instead, a lot of viewers, critics, and fans walked away underwhelmed. Billie Eilish had a huge night, sweeping all seven of her nominated categories, but even that wasn’t enough to save the show from feeling flat overall.
Here’s a breakdown of why this year’s AMAs didn’t land the way people hoped.
1. Too Many Big Names Were No-Shows
The most obvious problem was who wasn’t in the room. A number of the year’s biggest nominees — Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and others — simply didn’t show up. That meant a lot of the winners had to accept their awards through pre-recorded video messages instead of live speeches, which drained a lot of the energy an awards show usually runs on.
2. Most Awards Weren’t Even Shown Live
Viewers were also frustrated that so many competitive categories got skipped over during the broadcast. Rather than announcing winners on air, the show pushed a lot of results online or buried them in commercial breaks. That left the ceremony feeling incomplete, like fans were watching a highlight reel rather than the actual event.
3. The Performance Lineup Lacked Star Power
Host Jennifer Lopez kicked things off with a high-energy opening number, and the show paid tribute to legends like Janet Jackson and Rod Stewart. Still, plenty of viewers noticed that the performance lineup was missing most of the artists actually dominating the charts in 2025. Without them, the night felt less like a celebration of the year in music and more like a tribute show.
4. The Pacing Was Off
Critics also pointed out how uneven the broadcast felt. Between long tribute segments, frequent commercial breaks, and clunky transitions from performances to award presentations, the show dragged in a lot of places — not exactly what you want from a night that’s supposed to move fast and keep people hooked.
5. Fans Felt Like They Missed Out on the Good Stuff
Since the AMAs are fan-voted, people tuned in expecting the usual mix of emotional speeches and unscripted celebrity moments. With so many winners absent and so many awards trimmed from the broadcast, that payoff never really came. Online, plenty of people called it one of the weakest AMA shows in recent memory.
What Actually Worked
The night wasn’t a total loss, though. A few things stood out:
- Billie Eilish swept all seven of her nominated categories, including Artist of the Year.
- Jennifer Lopez’s opening medley got real praise for its energy.
- Janet Jackson received the Icon Award.
- Rod Stewart was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- The show made its comeback after two years off, this time on a new network — moving from ABC to CBS, with a simultaneous stream on Paramount+.
The Bottom Line
The problem with the 2025 AMAs wasn’t the winners — it was everything around them. Between the low turnout of A-list stars, the shrinking number of live award moments, and a general lack of viral, talk-about-it moments, the show ended up feeling smaller than fans expected for its big return. Most critics agree on one thing: if the AMAs want to get their cultural weight back, they’ll need more artists in the building and a format that actually keeps people watching.