How & Where to Watch the American Music Awards 2025

The AMAs are back once again and this time it’s on Memorial Day, making it not only a celebration of various music genres, but also a tribute to U.S. troops and veterans. However, the ceremony is only available to watch in the U.S. This guide shares how and where to watch American Music Awards online from anywhere.   

Jennifer Lopez will host and perform at this year’s AMAs. Although we don’t yet know who else will be performing, fans are convinced that Taylor Swift could entertain the audience, according to some news articles. 

Whoever performs at the awards night, it’s bound to be another legendary show. If you’re not in the U.S. and want to tune in, you’ll need the help of a VPN. We recommend the best VPN, NordVPN, for the task. Read on for a complete how-to guide.

American Music Awards 2025 Broadcast Date, Time & Location 

The 2025 American Music Awards take place on Monday, May 26 — Memorial Day — at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. It is broadcast live coast-to-coast at 5:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET. 

Where Is the American Music Awards Streaming?

The 2025 AMAs will be broadcast live on the CBS channel in the U.S. The show will also air live on Paramount+, but only Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers will be able to watch it live. The Paramount+ Essential plan (with ads) only provides access to it on-demand the next day. 

We’ve listed all of the options for streaming the awards ceremony in the table below, and all offer a free trial. If you need to use a VPN to access the show, you can pair a free trial with a VPN’s money-back guarantee. We show you how further down.

How to Watch the AMAs Free Online With a VPN

This section shows you how to watch the AMAs for free on Paramount+ with Showtime or via a live TV streaming service. We’ve used Fubo as an example, but you can just change the steps to the service you want.

1. Sign Up for a VPN

   Subscribe to a VPN such as NordVPN. Its two-year plan offers a 72% discount and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

   

2. Install the VPN App

   Download and install the app on your device. Launch the app and log in.

   

3. Connect to a U.S. Server

   Find a U.S. server and click on it to connect. You can use NordVPN’s server list or its interactive map. 

   

4. Sign Up for a Fubo Free Trial

   Go to fubo.tv and sign up for a free trial. If you don’t have a U.S. payment method, you can use a service like StatesCard, which provides a virtual U.S. payment card and billing address. Then, tune into CBS and stream the AMAs. Don’t forget to cancel your Fubo and VPN subscriptions if you don’t want to pay.

   

The Best VPNs to Stream the American Music Awards Online

When you’re streaming, the last thing you want is to get interrupted. That’s why it’s important to choose a VPN with fast speeds. Plus, it should be able to access streaming services and have servers in the country you need them — in this case, the U.S. All of the recommendations below have what you need to watch the AMAs on Paramount+ or via a live TV streaming service.

1. NordVPN — The best VPN for streaming and has the fastest speeds on average. It also has plenty of U.S. servers and a simple app with an interactive map. The two-year plan works out the cheapest and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Learn more in our NordVPN review. 
2. Surfshark — If you want to connect multiple devices, Surfshark allows an unlimited number. It’s also fast, can unblock streaming platforms and has U.S. servers. Its two-year plan offers the best price on this list and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our Surfshark review to know more. 
3. ExpressVPN — A great VPN for complete beginners due to its app being super simple. It also offers top speeds and unblocking power, as well as thousands of servers, including in the U.S. It’s pricier than the other options, but longer plans work out cheaper and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee to fall back on. Our ExpressVPN review goes into more detail.

Best Free VPN to Stream the AMAs: PrivadoVPN

While we don’t recommend many free VPNs, PrivadoVPN is a decent option, as you can read in our PrivadoVPN review. Aside from it being safe and secure, it also offers 10GB of full-speed data each month (your speeds are capped once you hit that limit) and servers in 10 countries, including the U.S. 

That means you’ll be able to watch the AMAs with no strings attached. However, if you want to do more streaming after, it’s better to opt for a premium VPN with a money-back guarantee, such as NordVPN.

American Music Awards 2025 Nominees

The AMAs show is the largest fan-voted awards ceremony and the nominations for the 2025 awards were announced on April 23 by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Corporation.

Kendrick Lamar leads the top five with 10 nominations, including for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and many more. He’s followed closely by Post Malone, Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish and Shaboozey. 

Other nominations include Benson Boone, Gracie Adams, Doechii, Lola Young, Teddy Swims, ROSÉ, Jelly Roll, The Marias, Tyla, Sabrina Carpenter, Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Hozier and Tommy Richman. Plus, Janet Jackson, who shot to fame in the 80s, will receive the Icon Award.

Nominations are based on fan interactions with streaming, sales, tour grosses and radio airplay. You can vote on the official AMAs site VoteAMAs.com or on the official Instagram account @AMAs. Voting ends at midnight on May 15.

Who Will Host the AMAS in 2025?

Jennifer Lopez will host the 2025 AMAs. This will be the second time JLo has hosted the awards, with the first time being in 2015. She has also performed on stage at the ceremony numerous times.

Where to Rewatch the 2024 American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special? 

While we couldn’t find anywhere that has the entire 50th Anniversary Special on demand, you can watch highlights on the official AMAs YouTube channel.

Last year’s American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special took place on Sunday, Oct. 6 and celebrated half a century of music with extra special performances from various artists. Those included an encore performance from Gladys Knight, who performed at the first AMAs in 1974, and a tribute performance to Whitney Houston by Jennifer Hudson. 

Other performers included Mariah Carey, Kane Brown, Stray Kids, Green Day, Brad Paisley, Chaka Khan, RAYE, Carrie Underwood, Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez. Jimmy Kimmel also made a special appearance.

The 50th Anniversary Special became one of the most-viewed entertainment shows of 2024, and the most-streamed AMAs ever with more than 6 million viewers.

Final Thoughts

Now you know how to watch the AMAs from outside the U.S. Pairing a VPN with a U.S. streaming platform makes it easy, and NordVPN is our top recommendation. Not convinced? Take it for a spin with the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Which artists do you want to see perform at the AMAs? Who do you think will win the most awards? Will you need to use a VPN to watch it? Let us know which one you use in the comments section and, as always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: AMAs Live Stream 

• Where Is the American Music Awards Streaming?

  The AMAs will air live on the CBS channel and Paramount Plus with Showtime in the U.S. You can use a live TV streaming service like Fubo to access the CBS channel if you don’t have cable.

• Where Can I Watch the AMAs for Free?

  While there isn’t a free streaming option for the AMAs, you can use a free trial of Paramount+ with Showtime or a live TV streaming service that has the CBS channel, such as Fubo, to watch for free.

• Will the American Music Awards Be on Hulu?

  Yes, but you will need the Hulu + Live TV package to access the CBS channel and watch the AMAs live. It is possible the show will be available on-demand the next day, but we’re not certain.