The 2019 American Music Awards, held Nov. 24, were nothing short of electrifying, celebrating talented artists of all kinds. From Post Malone to Taylor Swift, here is what you missed from one of the biggest nights in music:
- Actress and singer Selena Gomez opened the show with new singles “Lose You to Love Me” and “Look at Her Now,” which she performed just minutes after allegedly suffering a panic attack. With an off-key and rocky start, Gomez was vulnerable in every aspect of the word. However, when it was time to transition to “Look at Her Now”– the more up-beat of the two songs– she managed to finish strong with her besties Taylor Swift and Halsey rooting for her in the crowd.
- Host Ciara introduced the show with a performance– and obvious shameless plug– of her new song “Melanin.” With choreography that served the true definition of black girl magic and a performance that empowered young girls and women alike, Ciara brought much needed diversity to a usual whitewashed stage.
- Billie Eilish took home the first award of the night for Best Alternative Artist–the first AMA of her career. She returned to stage later for a performance of her song “All Good Girls Go to Hell” and again to accept the award for Best New Artist.
- Lizzo slayed a performance of her song “Jerome,” an R&B jam that showcases her inspirational and powerful vocals in a way that her other popular songs do not.
- Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello gave a steamy performance of their hit song “Senorita,” ending with a lingering embrace that teased an anticlimactic cop-out for a kiss on Camila’s end. The couple later won Best Collaboration of the Year, and upon accepting the award, gave an adorable shout out to Shawn’s mother watching at home.
- Kesha and Big Freedia performed their song “Raising Hell,” and the punk-rock, pop-princess even gave a bonus performance of “Tik Tok,” the song that launched her career.
- Taylor Swift took home the award for Best Pop Album for “Lover,” along with five others including Artist of the Year and Artist of the Decade, presented by the queen singer-songwriter herself, Carol King. To celebrate her decade-long career, Swift covered her entire discography in a lengthy performance which included songs such as “Shake it off” and “Blank Space” to the more recent “Lover.”
- R&B legend Toni Braxton gave a ferocious rendition of her classic song “Unbreak My Heart,” bringing the entire crowd to its feet.
- Carrie Underwood won both Best Country Artist and Best Country Album for “Cry Pretty.”
- Halsey performed her song “Graveyard,” accompanied by only one female dancer who dramatically doused the singer in colorful paint while she was standing against an all white background.
- Post Malone won Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album for “Hollywood’s Bleeding” and performed his smash hit “Circles,” dancing around and bopping like the true rockstar he is. Malone also brought legend Ozzy Ozborne and rapper Travis Scott on stage for an electrifying performance of their song “On the Road.”
- Camila Cabello gave another performance, this time in a more light and airy tone. With a troop of male and female dancers in lace black and white outfits, Cabello simultaneously dismantled any norms of masculinity and gave a dazzling performance of her new single “Living Proof.”
- The Jonas Brothers performed their song “Only Human” from their “Chasing Happiness Tour” in Boston.
- Lil Nas X won “Best Rap Song of the Year” with his smash hit “Old Town Road.”
- Country legend Shania Twain performed a mashup of current songs before transitioning into a full scale performance of her classics including “Man! I feel like a Woman.” Her time on stage blew the roof off of the Microsoft Theatre in LA, bringing artists such as Post Malone to their feet to jam along to the empowering female anthem.
- Taylor Swift became the most awarded artist in AMA history with a total of 29 awards, surpassing Michael Jackson’s previous record of 25.
A night filled with amazing collaborations and killer outfits, the 2019 American Music Awards was a smashing success!
For a full list of the night’s winners, click here.