On November 7, Dick Clark Productions and ABC announced that this year’s honorary Icon Award at the American Music Awards will go to Lionel Richie for his career achievements in the music industry. This will make him the first artist to perform in every decade since the AMAs were launched. This award and all others will be presented on Sunday night, November 20, at 8:00pm Eastern and Pacific.
Richie’s achievements in the music industry include 17 American Music Awards, which are decided by the public, and four Grammys including Album of the Year for “Can’t Slow Down” and Song of the Year for “We Are the World.” He has since brought his music expertise to his role as a judge on “American Idol.”
“I’m immensely grateful for a career that has taken me to places I never imagined that I’d go, from arenas worldwide to studio sets to the AMA stage,” Richie said in a statement. “I can recall one of the first times I got to perform at the AMAs. It was to sing ‘We Are the World’ among the most iconic musicians of my generation, so it is surreal to be receiving this recognition 36 years later.”
AMAs executive producer and showrunner Jesse Collins added, “Lionel Richie has had a profound impact on countless people around the world and on the music industry as a whole. From the millions of dollars raised due to ‘We Are the World’ to the global influence his unique sound still has today, Richie is the definition of a living legend and honoring him with the AMAs Icon Award is a no-brainer.”
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