Are Music Award Shows Dying? AMAs Viewership Plummets, Raising Concerns

The American Music Awards' viewership has been declining steadily since 2020, mirroring a broader trend in music award show popularity. In 2020, the AMAs drew 3.8 million viewers, dropping to 3.3 million in 2022. In 2023, the show was not broadcast on television at all. This year's AMAs, broadcast on May 26th, 2025, are still awaiting final viewership figures. This decline isn't isolated to the AMAs. The Billboard Music Awards have seen a similar pattern, with viewership plummeting from 3.71 million in 2020 to 1.26 million in 2024. The iHeartRadio Music Awards have also experienced a significant drop, although their numbers are still higher than the AMAs and Billboard Awards. In contrast, the Grammy Awards continue to attract a significantly larger audience, with 15.4 million viewers in 2025. The AMAs' recent move to the smaller BleauLive Theater, with a maximum capacity of 3,800, compared to the previous venue's 7,100, is also noteworthy. The smaller venue may reflect the decreasing audience size. "The AMAs' declining viewership, coupled with the venue change, raises questions about the future of the show," says one industry analyst. The long-term effects of this trend on the music industry and television broadcasting remain to be seen. However, the contrasting success of the Grammy Awards suggests that there are still opportunities for music award shows to thrive.