Following his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, Lionel Richie is slated to accept the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards on November 20. Richie, who hosted the awards ceremony in 1984 and 1985, will appear at this year’s iteration to celebrate his legendary discography and myriad AMA distinctions over the past several decades. Notably, Richie will become the only artist to appear on the AMAs stage in every decade since the show’s beginning in 1974.
The award, which honors an artist “whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry,” will mark Richie’s 18th AMAs trophy. “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,” said Richie. “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.” Richi has secured five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist and two additional songs with Commodores.
He has also earned three No. 1 records on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with Can’t Slow Down (1983), Dancing on the Ceiling (1986) and Tuskegee (2012). As of late, Richie has extended his “Back to Las Vegas” residency at the Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theater into next year; and he is presently filming his sixth season as a judge on ABC’s American Idol. Jesse Collins, showrunner of this year’s AMAs, said: “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.”
The 2022 American Music Awards will take place at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on November 20, with Wayne Brady set to host. Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons, J.I.D., P!NK, Tems, Wizkid, Yola and more are confirmed to perform throughout the ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
