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The American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special will premiere on Sunday (October 6). The two-hour special, featuring performances from Mariah Carey and Stray Kids, will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
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Starring Mariah Carey, Stray Kids, Jennifer Hudson, Nelly, Nile Rodgers, Chaka Khan, Brad Paisley, Kane Brown, Sheila E, RAYE, and Green Day.
Read below to find out what you need to know to attend this year’s AMA and what to expect.
Highlights of the 2024 AMA Special
The American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special will air nationally on Sunday, October 6th at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS and CBS.com. If you have cable (or a digital TV antenna like Amazon), you can watch the AMA special on your TV through your local CBS affiliate DirectTV Stream, fuboTV, SlingTV, and Paramount+ with Showtime.
AMA is also available to stream on-demand through the Paramount+ Essential plan. Please register here.
How to watch AMAs online for free
If your cable cord is cut, you can still watch the American Music Awards Anniversary Special by streaming using SlingTV, fuboTV, DirectTV Stream, or Hulu + Live TV. Most of these services offer free trials, allowing you to watch AMA specials and stream performances online for free.
Those without cable can stream CBS online via Paramount+. When you sign up for a free trial of fuboTV or DirectTV Stream, both services include CBS, so you can also access CBS and watch AMA specials live on your TV or watch specials from your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. You can also stream.
Paramount+ will stream the 50th anniversary special live and on demand. Sign up here.
Who will appear on the AMAs 50th Anniversary Special?
Carey will perform a medley of songs from Mimi’s Emancipation to commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary. According to Paramount, Stray Kids will perform a special performance that “celebrates boy band tradition.” Ray will sing the James Brown classic “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” Knight will sing “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and Hudson will sing a nod to Whitney Houston. Brad Paisley will perform his new single “Truck Still Works” in honor of the late Charlie Pride, who won the first American Music Award (AMA) for Country Mail and Country Album.
Green Day will perform their latest hit song “Dilemma.”
The anniversary special will feature special appearances by AJ McLean, Cedric the Entertainer, Kate Hudson, Lance Bass, Reba McEntire, Samuel L. Jackson and Smokey Robinson.
As for the 2025 AMA, the ceremony will be held in May instead of November. See the full list of candidates here.
