- Wednesday, May 28, 2025
At the 51st American Music Awards held in Las Vegas, Billie Eilish reigned supreme with seven wins, while SZA, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Eminem also shone bright on music’s biggest night.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
The 51st Annual American Music Awards turned into a night of triumph for Billie Eilish, who emerged as the biggest winner with a clean sweep of all seven categories she was nominated in. Held at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas on May 26, 2025, and broadcast live on CBS, the Memorial Day celebration of music saw Jennifer Lopez as the glamorous host.
Eilish won the top honor — Artist of the Year — beating industry heavyweights including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA. Her album Hit Me Hard and Soft also secured the inaugural Album of the Year title, with the hauntingly melodic “Birds of a Feather” winning both Song of the Year and Favorite Pop Song. She also took home Favorite Touring Artist and Favorite Female Pop Artist, cementing her as 2025’s defining pop force.
Another standout of the night was SZA, who won Favorite Female R&B Artist and Favorite R&B Song for her dreamy single “Saturn.” Her moment on stage was marked by a heartfelt acceptance from Tiffany Haddish. Meanwhile, The Weeknd walked away with Favorite Male R&B Artist and Favorite R&B Album for Hurry Up Tomorrow, edging out competition from Chris Brown and Bryson Tiller.
Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga were a winning duo as their collaboration “Die With a Smile” took Collaboration of the Year and Favorite Music Video. Gaga also won Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist, while Bruno clinched Favorite Male Pop Artist.
In the hip-hop categories, Eminem made a return to the spotlight, sending in a video message to thank fans for voting him Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist. He also won Favorite Hip-Hop Album for his critically acclaimed release The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). Kendrick Lamar, a consistent awards favorite, took home Favorite Hip-Hop Song for “Not Like Us.”
Beyoncé made AMAs history by winning in the country genre — a bold crossover move rewarded with Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for Cowboy Carter. Post Malone also found success in this category, earning Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Song for “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen.
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Among other major categories, New Artist of the Year went to Gracie Abrams, beating out names like Benson Boone and Chappell Roan. Social media’s influence was recognized through the new Social Song of the Year category, won by Doechii for her viral anthem “Anxiety.”
Latin music saw familiar faces win big — Bad Bunny was named Favorite Male Latin Artist and Favorite Latin Album for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, while Becky G and Shakira earned Favorite Female Latin Artist and Favorite Latin Song respectively.
The rock genre saw Twenty One Pilots dominate with wins for Favorite Rock Artist and Favorite Rock Album for Clancy. Meanwhile, Linkin Park was honored with Favorite Rock Song for “The Emptiness Machine.”
In global categories, South Korean star RM took home Favorite K-Pop Artist, edging out fellow BTS alum Jimin and soloist ROSÉ. Tyla was crowned Favorite Afrobeats Artist, rising above major contenders like Rema and Tems.
The evening was a dazzling showcase of talent across genres, with memorable performances, red carpet fashion, and powerful acceptance speeches. The event was produced by Dick Clark Productions, under Penske Media Eldridge — also Billboard’s parent company.
As the 2025 AMAs close out, Billie Eilish’s unprecedented sweep signals a defining era in pop, while emerging stars like Gracie Abrams and genre-bending triumphs from artists like Beyoncé hint at the industry’s evolving landscape. With a roster that spans pop, hip-hop, country, Latin, Afrobeats, and K-pop, this year’s awards truly reflected the global and genre-spanning pulse of modern music.
For the complete list of winners, fans can revisit the show highlights and keep track of music’s brightest stars as the summer tour season heats up.
