Janet Jackson showed she was icon material at the American Music Awards as she delivered her first televised performance in seven years.
The five-time Grammy winner was honored with the AMA’s prestigious Icon Award at Monday’s ceremony in Las Vegas, where she performed an energetic medley of “Someone to Call My Lover” and “All for You,” backed by a live band and dancers.
Jackson’s last televised performance was at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, though she has since taken her music around the world on her “Together Again” tour. In December, she kicked off a residency at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas.
The pop legend, clad in a denim ensemble, was introduced by host Jennifer Lopez.
“There are moments in your journey as an artist when you see someone take things to a whole new level. For me, one of those big moments came very early in my career, when I was picked to be in Janet Jackson’s ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ video,” Lopez said before Jackson’s performance. “Janet gave a lot of young girls like me the blueprint for how to be a strong female artist in this business.”
As she accepted her award onstage, Jackson said she was “so grateful.”
“No disrespect in any way, but I don’t consider myself an icon,” she said.
She’s an ICON, she’s a legend, and she is the moment! 🤩Congratulations again to @JanetJackson, our #AMAs Icon Award Recipient! pic.twitter.com/RXO5vgKL0L
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) May 27, 2025
“My family, myself—our dream wasn’t ever to be famous,” she continued. “We weren’t raised like that. We always had a special love for music, dancing, and singing, and fame came with the result of hard work and dedication.”
Jackson’s performance was one highlight in an evening filled with memorable moments, including Jennifer Lopez’s surprisingly raunchy performance of some 2024 chart-toppers.
Jackson, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee with a career spanning more than four decades, has left an undeniable mark on pop and R&B music.
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