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Janet Jackson honored with Icon Award at the American Music Awards

By Chris Morgan | Last updated May 27, 2025 5:45 PM ET

The American Music Awards were held on Memorial Day. Some hardware was divvied out to notable modern musicians, but music-based award shows are about live performances and honoring legends. This year's American Music Awards were no different. The Icon Award, the event's lifetime achievement offering, went to none other than Janet Jackson.

Though Jackson hasn't released a new album since 2015, she's stayed quite busy touring and performing. In addition to accepting the Icon Award and giving her speech, Jackson performed a bit as well. Live in Las Vegas, she did "Somebody to Call My Lover" and "All for You."

This was her first time performing on television in seven years, the year she received the Billboard Music Awards honor called the, um, Icon Award. Somebody needs to change it up there, but we'll let the AMAs and BMAs battle it out.

Congrats to Janet Jackson, though she is thoroughly venerated by this point.

(h/t Pitchfork)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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