Photo Credit: Getty Images
The 2025 American Music Awards nominations are here, and hip-hop royalty Kendrick Lamar is leading the charge like he just dropped another poetic bomb on the charts. Announced Wednesday morning, the list of nominees proves it's going to be a battle of the best, with Lamar snatching 10 nominations, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for GNX, and Song of the Year for Not Like Us.
Not far behind is the always unpredictable Post Malone with eight nominations. Meanwhile, the triple-threat trio of Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey are each rolling in with seven nominations, showing that genre diversity is alive and thriving. And just when you thought she couldn't dominate the charts and awards anymore, Taylor Swift slides in with six nominations and the potential to break her own record of 40 AMA wins. That's not a pop star, that's a walking trophy cabinet.
This year's Artist of the Year category is a glittering galaxy of stars featuring Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Taylor Swift, and Zach Bryan. The new artist category is equally electric with fresh faces like Benson Boone, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman, and yes, Chappell Roan again.
For Album of the Year, expect an epic showdown between Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, Taylor's poetic The Tortured Poets Department, and Billie Eilish's heartbreak diary Hit Me Hard and Soft. Also in the mix: Chappell Roan's sparkling The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and Post Malone's galactic F-1 Trillion. Kendrick's GNX and Future & Metro Boomin's We Don't Trust You bring the heat, while Charli XCX and Gracie Abrams add their own flavors.
In the Song of the Year arena, tracks like Beautiful Things by Benson Boone, Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish, and Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter are contenders. Not to be ignored are Kendrick's hard-hitting Not Like Us and Shaboozey's viral A Bar Song (Tipsy).
Collaboration of the Year is a spicy category with pairings like Kendrick Lamar & SZA on Luther, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars on Die With A Smile, and Taylor Swift & Post Malone on Fortnight. Meanwhile, fan-voted categories like Favorite Social Artist and Favorite Music Video are expected to see Swifties and Eilishers in a digital battle royale.
Hosted by the ever-glamorous Jennifer Lopez, the AMA winners will be revealed on May 26 in Las Vegas. If the nominee list is anything to go by, we're in for an unforgettable night filled with music, mayhem, and probably a few surprise on-stage hugs that become memes by morning
