Music icon Billy Idol dressed the part of rock royalty as he took the red carpet by storm at the American Music Awards. The singer will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to rock music, following in the footsteps of past recipients Diana Ross and Rod Stewart.
Idol's Iconic Style
At 70, Idol has enjoyed a wildly successful music career that includes the hits White Wedding, Dancing to Myself, and three Grammy nominations. He arrived at the ceremony in a black leather jacket, fuchsia top, and his trademark spiked hair, embodying the rocker persona that has defined his decades-long career.
The 52nd American Music Awards
The event is taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and is hosted by Queen Latifah. Pop icon Taylor Swift leads the nominations with eight nods in categories including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for The Fate of Ophelia, and Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl. Swift holds the all-time record for the most AMA wins with 40 trophies and is set to add to that total. She is also nominated in Best Music Video and Best Pop Song categories for The Fate of Ophelia, Song of the Summer for Elizabeth Taylor, Best Female Pop Artist, and Best Pop Album. If Swift wins all eight categories, she will tie Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston for the most wins in one night.
Other Nominees and Performers
Swift's protegee Sabrina Carpenter has landed seven nominations and will face her mentor in several major categories with her hit Manchild and successful album Man's Best Friend. Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, and Sombr have also earned seven nominations each, while Ordinary hitmaker Alex Warren and Lady Gaga have scored six nods. First-time nominees include Sombr, Dean, Warren, Katseye, BigXthaPlug, Leon Thomas, PinkPantheress, Raye, Role Model, Sienna Spiro, and Tate McRae.
Performers include Katseye, The Pussycat Dolls, Busta Rhymes, Billy Idol, and New Kids on the Block. Presenters include Alysa Liu, Hilary Duff, John Legend, Jason Derulo, Lisa Rinna, Ludacris, Mariah the Scientist, Matt Rife, Megan Stalter, Paul W. Downs, Melanie Martinez, Nikki Glaser, and Paula Abdul.
Special Awards
Karol G will receive the International Artist Award of Excellence, while Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker will be honored with the Veterans Voice Award for his support of military organizations.
The American Music Awards is the world's largest fan-voted award show, created by Dick Clark and first awarded in 1974. It is known for iconic performances and introducing breakthrough artists. The AMAs will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
