Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande empty-handed at AMAs: hidden crisis in the music industry?

The 2025 American Music Awards ( AMAs ) ceremony ended on the evening of May 26 in Las Vegas, leaving behind many unforgettable echoes and no small amount of controversy.

One of the most shocking highlights of this year's awards night was the complete absence of Taylor Swift from the list of winners, something that has never happened in nearly two decades of her peak career.

Taylor Swift, known as the "queen of awards ceremonies", entered the 2025 AMAs with 6 important nominations, including: "Artist of the Year", "Album of the Year", "Favorite Pop Album" for The Tortured Poets Department, "Favorite Female Pop Artist", "Favorite Touring Artist" and "Collaboration of the Year" for Fortnight (collaborating with Post Malone). With impressive artistic and commercial achievements in the past year, she is predicted to be the leading candidate for at least one win.

However, contrary to all expectations, when the list of winners was announced, Taylor Swift was completely absent. This is the first time since 2007 when she received her first nomination and win at the AMAs that the female singer has gone home empty-handed. This surprised the public even more when Swift is currently the artist holding the record for the most 40 wins at the AMAs in the history of the award.

Not only did Taylor Swift not win any awards, she also did not appear at the event. This absence has fueled a wave of speculation among the fan community. Many believe that she is focusing all her efforts on the project to release Reputation (Taylor's Version), the most anticipated re-recording in her journey to regain ownership of her music. However, the fact that an artist of Taylor Swift's stature was absent from both the presence and awards at the AMAs has left fans around the world disappointed.

Similarly, Ariana Grande , one of the most prominent pop artists of the past decade, was not any luckier. Despite being nominated in the important category "Artist of the Year", the "yes, and?" singer still left the event in silence, without winning any awards. Ariana's absence from the awards ceremony also added to the empty feeling of the 2025 AMAs, which is often known as a "music party" that gathers the biggest stars in the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, Billie Eilish had a brilliant night when she swept all 7 nominations she was nominated for. She won the most prestigious categories such as "Artist of the Year", "Album of the Year" with Hit Me Hard and Soft, and "Song of the Year" with Birds of a Feather. This achievement not only affirms Billie's increasingly solid position in the music industry but also marks a clear shift in public taste.

Billie Eilish's music is full of depth, inner emotions and a distinct artistic personality, becoming a symbol of a new generation of artists where artistic self is more important than flashiness. In a pop music world familiar with catchy melodies and commercial production formulas, Billie creates a new breeze that is authentic, sad but enchanting. Her success at the 2025 AMAs shows that the public is gradually shifting their attention to products that are more experimental and have more emotional depth.

However, the 2025 AMAs were not only controversial in terms of results, but also criticized for their organization. Only 8 out of 37 categories were announced live on television, a record low compared to previous years. Many viewers believe that the AMAs are losing the "festival" quality that is the soul of this event, when the moments honoring artists are shortened to the point of being superficial and lacking in emotion.

The fact that Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande went empty-handed was not only a personal shock, but also a reflection of the fierce competition in the music industry today. In a world where trends and tastes change rapidly, even the top names find it difficult to maintain their position without constant innovation.

For Taylor Swift, this could be a turning point in her transition from chart-topping star to independent artist determined to redefine her personal musical values. For Ariana Grande, taking a step back could be a move to prepare for a new and deeper artistic direction in the future.

Despite the controversy this year, the AMAs 2025 are a powerful reminder that nothing lasts forever in the entertainment industry. And sometimes, it's the unexpected falls that lead to the comeback of true artists, stronger, more creative, and more explosive than ever.

Taylor Swift named to the list of top global artists in 2024 Lan Chi17:14:25 06/12/2024In the list published by Spotify, Taylor Swift is the most streamed artist globally in 2024 on Spotify. With this result, Taylor won the crown for the second year in a row.