The 2025 American Music Awards lit up screens with star-studded performances and big wins, but fans inside the Fontainebleau Las Vegas venue had a different experience—one that’s now sparking backlash online.
The “Live” That Wasn’t Live
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani delivered high-energy performances during the show’s May 26 broadcast. Shelton premiered his new anthem, “Stay Country or Die Tryin’,” and later introduced Stefani’s medley of iconic hits, including “Hollaback Girl” and her latest single, “Swallow My Tears.”
But while the performances looked live to viewers at home, fans in attendance quickly realized they were pre-recorded—shown on giant screens rather than happening in real-time on stage. And many were not happy.
TikTok videos began flooding in post-show, showing crowd reactions and revealing the prerecorded segments. Some attendees felt misled by the show’s marketing.
“Imagine paying for a ticket to watch a TV,” one TikTok user quipped.
“@AMAs why did you lie and say Blake was performing live?” another wrote.
“Super annoying especially with the price I paid for my level 300 ticket.”
Shelton Breaks His Silence
As the criticism gained traction online, Blake Shelton responded on X (formerly Twitter) to set the record straight:
“Just now seeing these stories about Gwen and I pretaping our performances for the AMA’s. We came and performed when the show asked us to.. Really nothing else to say. 🤷♂️”
While some fans continued expressing disappointment, many came to Shelton’s defense.
“Great performance by both y’all no matter when it was recorded!”
“Don’t worry about ‘em—haters gonna hate.”
“I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.♥️”
AMA’s Star Power Under Question
The controversy didn’t end with Shelton. Other major appearances—including Billie Eilish’s seven-award sweep—were delivered via video message. Notably absent were chart-toppers like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Sabrina Carpenter, prompting some to question the overall energy and authenticity of the night.
Still, country music had a strong showing:
- Beyoncé won Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album for Cowboy Carter.
- Post Malone snagged Favorite Male Country Artist and Favorite Country Song for “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen.
- Dan + Shay took home Favorite Country Duo or Group.
The Bigger Picture
While pre-taped segments are nothing new in the world of live award shows, the lack of transparency at this year’s AMAs caught fans off guard. Shelton and Stefani’s performances were praised for their quality—but for the fans who shelled out big bucks for a live experience, it was a bitter surprise.
As one TikTok commenter summed it up:
“Great show for people watching at home. Not so much for those in the building.”
Whether this pushes award shows to be more upfront about live vs. pre-recorded performances remains to be seen. But one thing’s certain: Blake Shelton has no regrets.
