THE DISINTEGRATING CREDIBLITY OF THE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
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The American Music Awards aired on May 26th, 2025, and if you chose not to watch, you're certainly not alone. In a year where digital attention spans are diminishing to an all-time low and fans are demanding authenticity and engagement, the AMAs are becoming a textbook example of how not to produce a music awards show in today's media landscape.
The early online reception from the ceremony this year is, at best, lukewarm and, at worst, widely criticized. Besides TikTok, users are actively questioning everything from the show’s irrelevance to the sincerity of the presentations, creating harsh narratives. While TV ratings aren't out yet, digital cues are revealing an uncomfortable truth: fans don't believe the hype anymore.
One of the most obvious indicators of decline was the unfortunate lack of A-list nominees. With the exception of SZA, most artists nominated for top categories failed to show at all. Most of the major awards either did not air and were pre-recorded acceptance speeches. The ultimate question left to viewers was: if the biggest stars don't walk the red carpet, why should the fans watch?
Things got worse still, with what appeared to be television performances by Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, but were instead recorded video clips. TikTok user, Aly Winder posted a video early in the evening from the venue showing the performances were being played on a screen, that fact was conveniently omitted from the televised version. Such editing doesn’t just do a disservice to the audience, it also signals a lack of trustworthiness surrounding the awards show as a whole.
In her fans' anticipation of Taylor Swift’s upcoming projects, many speculated that she might announce her next re-recording project, Reputation (Taylor’s Version), during the AMAs. While that never happened, and that part isn't the AMAs' fault, many fans flagged concerns about the show muting crowd reactions when Taylor was announced for Artist of the Year. After all, if engagement is everything about not just the AMAs but awards shows in general, that layered editing only seemed to exacerbate those feelings of overly manufactured events.
The AMAs seem to now face an identity crisis. Rather than an artist's credible promotional vehicle, organizations like the AMAs could risk being viewed as meme fodder and further be targets of fans' cynicism. In an age of digital where fans expect transparency, connection, and immediacy, pre-recorded content and poor engagement has begun to render awards shows feel like trapped in some faraway media era that doesn't suit them anymore.
So, when is an awards show a decent promotional vehicle?
When executed properly, there is still merit in the idea of awards shows, either as powerful platforms, or better understood as moments of cultural togetherness with fans, artists, and industry professionals. Even the Grammys, despite all the flack they get, are still one of the only prestigious award shows because of their combination of a high bar for a performance, high levels of artist participation, and cultural recognition.
For others alike fan-voted award shows like the AMAs, the lesson is clear: honesty equals credibility. As music professionals move forward, perhaps establishing fan trust and embracing authenticity is the only way to avoid the monstrosity that was the digital reception for the AMAs. Otherwise, awards shows run the risk of solidifying themselves as a mockery rather than a significant monument to music.
