November 19, 2017
by Carla Hay
With six awards, pop star Bruno Mars was the biggest winner at the 45th American Music Awards (AMAs), which took place on November 19, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Mars was the top nominee going into the ceremony (he had eight nominations), but he did not attend the show. Instead, he sent a video message that was played after he was named Artist of the Year. ABC had the U.S. telecast of the show, which was hosted by “Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross.
Diana Ross (who is Ellis Ross’ mother) received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ross performed a medley of her hits: “I’m Coming Out,” “Take Me Higher,” “Ease on Down the Road,” “The Best Years Of My Life” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” While accepting the awards, she was joined on stage by her children, grandchildren and Motown founder Berry Gordy, who is the father of Ross’ eldest child, Rhonda Ross.
Other highlights included Christina Aguilera paying tribute to Whitney Houston and the 25th anniversary of “The Bodyguard” soundtrack with a medley of the soundtrack’s biggest hits: “I Will Always Love You,” “I’m Every Woman,” “I Have Nothing” and “Run To You.”
Pink & Kelly Clarkson opened the show with a duet of “Everybody Hurts.” Clarkson and Pink later performed separately, with Pink doing a high-flying performance of “Beautiful Trauma” from the side of a Los Angeles skyscraper. And getting the most screams from teenage girls was Korean boy band BTS, which made its U.S. live TV performance debut at the 2017 American Music Awards.
Unique collaborations included Selena Gomez making her world television performance debut of “Wolves” with Marshmello. Other team-ups on stage were Alessia Cara and Zedd; Imagine Dragons and Khalid; Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt; Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line; and Macklemore and Skylar Grey.
The show’s other performers were AMA winners Lady Gaga (who sang live from her concert in Detroit), Shawn Mendes and Niall Horan. Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas and Portugal. The Man also performed on the show.
Presenters included KJ Apa, Chadwick Boseman, Sabrina Carpenter, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Mark Cuban, Viola Davis, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Billy Eichner, Ansel Elgort, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jamie Foxx, G-Eazy, Kat Graham, Kathryn Hahn, Chris Hardwick, Justin Hartley, Daymond John, DJ Khaled, Heidi Klum, Kevin O’Leary, Jared Leto, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Camila Mendes, Chrissy Metz, Julia Michaels, Lea Michele, Madelaine Petsch, Lili Reinhart, Kelly Rowland, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Yara Shahidi, Lilly Singh, and Sadie Sink.
The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans, except for the Lifetime Achievement Award, whose winner is chosen in advance by the show’s producers.
Here are the nominees and winners of the 2017 American Music Awards:
*** = winner
- Bruno Mars***
- The Chainsmokers
- Drake
- Kendrick Lamar
- Ed Sheeran
- James Arthur
- Niall Horan***
- Julia Michaels
- Post Malone
- Rae Sremmurd
- The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey “Closer”
- DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
- Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber “Despacito”***
- Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar “Don’t Wanna Know”
- The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk “Starboy”
- Garth Brooks
- Coldplay***
- U2
- Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”***
- Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee “Despacito”
- Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
- Bruno Mars***
- Drake
- Ed Sheeran
- Alessia Cara
- Lady Gaga***
- Rihanna
- The Chainsmokers
- Coldplay
- Imagine Dragons***
- Bruno Mars “24K Magic”***
- Drake “More Life”
- The Weeknd “Starboy”
- The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey “Closer”
- Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber “Despacito”***
- Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
- Sam Hunt
- Thomas Rhett
- Keith Urban***
- Miranda Lambert
- Maren Morris
- Carrie Underwood***
- Florida Georgia Line
- Little Big Town***
- Old Dominion
- Jason Aldean “They Don’t Know”
- Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”
- Keith Urban “Ripcord”***
- Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
- Jon Pardi “Dirt On My Boots”
- Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color”***
- Drake***
- Kendrick Lamar
- Migos
- Drake “More Life”
- Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”***
- Migos “Culture”
- DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
- Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”***
- Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane “Black Beatles”
- Bruno Mars***
- Childish Gambino
- The Weeknd
- Beyoncé***
- Kehlani
- Rihanna
- Bruno Mars “24K Magic”***
- Childish Gambino “Awaken, My Love!”
- The Weeknd “Starboy”
- Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”***
- Khalid “Location”
- The Weeknd “Starboy”
- Imagine Dragons
- Linkin Park***
- twenty one pilots
- Bruno Mars
- Shawn Mendes***
- Ed Sheeran
- Daddy Yankee
- Luis Fonsi
- Shakira***
- Lauren Daigle***
- MercyMe
- Chris Tomlin
- The Chainsmokers***
- DJ Snake
- Calvin Harris
- Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2
- Moana***
- Trolls
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Diana Ross