Season 21
The American Music Awards show is one of several annual major American music awards shows (among the others are the Billboard Music Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards) which honours outstanding achievements in the record industry.
The awards were created in 1973 by Dick Clark as competition to the Grammys. They are broadcast annually in the USA on ABC.
The American Music Awards previously aired in South Africa on M-Net the day after the awards ceremony in the USA. As of 2011 they air live on Channel O, with a repeat that night on Vuzu.
About the Awards
Winners of the American Music Awards are selected by the public. A national sampling of approximately 20,000, taking into account geographic location, age, sex and ethnic origin, are sent ballots by the National Family Opinion, Inc. firm under the supervision of Broadcast Research and Consulting, Inc.
Names of the nominees on the ballot were compiled from data supplied by the music industry trade publication, Radio & Records and Nielsen Soundscan, which tracks retail music sales.
Results of the voting, tabulated by the Ernst & Young LLP accounting firm, are not announced until the envelopes are opened during the presentation ceremonies.