When Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake hit the red carpet at the 2001 AMAs, they stole the show but not in a good way. Britney and Justin were decked out in head-to-toe denim! This iconic eyesore has been mocked ever since.
Jennifer Lopez’s lackluster “Louboutins” performance at the 2009 AMAs took a disastrous turn when she fell on stage. Fortunately for J. Lo, much of America missed the footage as the producers edited it out before it aired on the West Coast.
Garth Brooks shocked the world when he went onstage to receive the Artist of the Year Award in 1996 and turned it down. He felt that it wasn’t fair for him to win and thought Hootie and the Blowfish deserved the award. Rather than cause controversy, many people respected him more for this bold move.
One of the most unforgettable AMA performances of all time was also one of the simplest: Beyonce and two backup dancers dressed in black and white shimmying to the hit song, “Single Ladies.” The performance was stunning!
Nobody expected Anna Nicole Smith’s introduction of Kanye West in 2004 to be more memorable than the performance itself, but it certainly was. Smith appeared to not be in her right mind, as she slurred her words and asked the audience what they thought of her figure. It later came out that Smith had been suffering from drug addiction.
In 1990, Guns N’ Roses won the award for favorite heavy metal album, but they weren’t exactly America’s favorite after their disastrous acceptance speech. The artists appeared to be drunk onstage and every other word was a profanity. ABC had to apologize for their behavior!
In 2013, Miley Cyrus was just starting to rebrand herself and get away from her Disney image. Her AMA performance of “Wrecking Ball” got the job done quite nicely. Between a giant, lip-syncing kitten and a revealing two-piece outfit covered in cat heads, we can all certainly agree that Cyrus made a lasting impression.
When Adam Lambert took the stage in 2009 to perform “For Your Entertainment,” people’s jaws dropped! During the performance, Lambert kissed a male band member and had a female dancer simulate oral sex. Let’s just say, the network was not pleased.
We all know that Kesha loves to push the envelope when it comes to fashion, but she took it a little too far at the 2010 AMAs. She wore a trash bag-esque gown, styled her hair to look like Marge Simpson, and bedazzled her eyebrows!
For the first time ever in 2013, the American Music Awards awarded the Icon Award to one very deserving artist, Rihanna. We all choked up when Rihanna’s mother presented her with the award and delivered a heartfelt speech about her unbelievably talented daughter.
Britney Spears has been criticized in recent years for lip syncing performances, but many people forget when she sang “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” live at the 2002 AMAs and absolutely crushed it. Her performance was simple and flawless!
Lady Gaga knows how to make an entrance, and the 2013 AMAs was no exception! She rode in on a giant, mechanical white horse operated by two men. She stated that the dramatic entrance made her feel like Bianca Jagger arriving at Studio 54.
In 1984, Michael Jackson set the record for the most AMAs won in a single year (eight), but what most people remember is the iconic photo of him and Brooke Shields holding hands. It was later revealed that Jackson proposed to Shields on that night, but she turned him down. The two remained close friends for many years after.
2011 was the year of LMFAO. They garnered not one, but two number one hits and performed them to close out the AMAs. The performance was electric, star-studded, and included Justin Bieber and David Hasselhoff. It makes us wish this duo had never broken up!
The “We Are the World” performance in 1986 is quite possibly the greatest celebrity moment of all time. Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, and more gathered onstage to sing an impromptu version of the song. For a moment, they truly brought the world together as one.
