The 45th American Music Awards were Sunday, and stars turned out from all over the globe to participate. Some of the biggest names in music — P!nk, Imagine Dragons, Selena Gomez and more — collaborated with their pop peers, sang from new heights and debuted their latest singles on live television. Here are the 10 biggest highlights from Sunday’s award show, which aired on ABC.
1. Tracee Ellis Ross was the host we all needed
It was a family affair at this year’s AMAs, with Tracee Ellis Ross hosting while her mother, Diana Ross, took home the Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout the night, the Black-ish star provided entertaining transitions and anecdotes, which included admitting to losing a crying contest with presenter Viola Davis, calling herself “Trink” when trying to channel performer P!nk and wearing one of her mother’s iconic outfits.
2. Imagine Dragons took home a major win
Imagine Dragons won the third AMA of its career, this time in the category of Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock. The band also shared the stage with Khalid, performing a mashup of their two hits, “Thunder” and “Young Dumb and Broke.” Their voices complemented each other well while they had fun on stage together. They wrapped up their celebratory performance with confetti.
3. BTS made their U.S. debut
Superstar K-Pop group BTS made its U.S. television debut and did not disappoint. The crowd was the loudest of the entire night and loved the band’s coordinated and intricate dance moves.
4. Selena Gomez made her first TV performance in more than a year
Selena Gomez returned to the AMAs for her only TV performance this year to perform her latest song, “Wolves,” with Marshmello. The dramatic performance started with the stage covered in smoke so dense viewers could not initially see the singer. Several dancers joined her, lifting her up and carrying her around stage. She ended the performance with a half smile and a “thank you.” It has been a rough year for Gomez — she received a kidney transplant and battled lupus.
5. Keith Urban proved he’s still got it
Keith Urban won not one, not two, but three awards at once tonight. He won Favorite Male Artist – Country, Favorite Album – Country (Ripcord) and Favorite Song – Country ("Blue Ain't Your Color"), and received them all at once. He shared his awards with his wife, Nicole Kidman.
6. Christina Aguilera made a touching tribute to Whitney Houston
It takes a powerhouse to pay proper tribute to a powerhouse, and Christina Aguilera did it like a pro during her tribute to Whitney Houston.
She sang tunes from the classic film The Bodyguard, adding her own personal twist. Her rendition of “I Will Always Love You” gave goosebumps even to those watching at home. P!nk was totally feeling it, squashing whatever beef the singers may have had in the past. Christina received a standing ovation before the performance was even over.
For her final song, she was joined on stage by a gospel choir for “I’m Every Woman.” Aguilera finished her performance by saying that Whitney was her idol, and thanked her for being such an inspiration.
7. Lady Gaga gave a stellar performance from across the country
Lady Gaga won the award for Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock, but she could not make it to the AMAs, as she was performing in Washington, D.C. The show cut to live footage of Gaga tearfully receiving the award and giving thanks to her fans and family in a speech, and urging everyone to not change who they are, even if they feel different. Gaga’s live performance of her latest single, “The Cure,” was also shown during the AMAs and was one of the most outstanding performances of the night.
8. P!nk defied gravity
P!nk performanced twice during the AMAs, once with Kelly Clarkson, and later on the side of Los Angeles' JW Marriott hotel. Yes, the singer once again defied gravity as she performed “Beautiful Trauma.” How she managed to sing perfectly and do these acrobatic stunts, nobody knows. She had a fellow acrobat as a dance partner for the majority of the song, but was then joined by several other fearless acrobats for an even larger scale performance.
9. Kelly Clarkson celebrated 15 years since her American Idol win
Kelly Clarkson also sang twice tonight, first opening the show with P!nk with a beautiful cover of “Everybody Hurts.” Later, she celebrated 15 years since she won the first season of American Idol with a mashup of “Miss Independent” and her latest single, “Love So Soft.” Her dancers had fancy, eye-catching hand choreography and wide-brimmed hats. Demi Lovato was definitely feeling this performance and was singing along from the audience.
10. Diana Ross further proved she’s nothing short of an icon
To wrap up the show on a high note, a Diana Ross video compilation was shown as an introduction to her Lifetime Achievement Award and performance. The video showed her humble beginnings, an interview with Oprah, on-stage performances, movie clips and samples of her fashion throughout her career.
Ross started her performance with her hit “I’m Coming Out,” sporting her signature big hair and flashy clothes. While closing her set, she was joined by her grandkids for her iconic version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” While not all of her grandkids enjoyed their time on stage, the majority proceeded to dance along with Ross.
Eventually, her entire family joined her on stage as she accepted her award. The family atmosphere was contagiously heartwarming — one of her grandkids brought her a fanny pack and another sent closed the show by reading from the prompter, but not before he said he loved his grandma and the crowd.
