The American Music Awards show is one of several annual major American music awards shows (among the others are the Grammy Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, the currently dormant Billboard Music Awards, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony).

History and overview

Conception

The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC. Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond co-hosted the first award show with Rodney Allen Rippy and Ricky Segall.