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Taylor Swift
Before there was Reputation, there was Fearless. In 2008, Swift took home the trophy for Favorite Country Female Artist.
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Justin Bieber
The “Baby” singer made all of us Beliebers when he won four awards—including Artist of the Year and Favorite Pop/Rock Album—back in 2010. He was just 16 at the time.
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Beyoncé
While Queen B won several awards with Destiny’s Child, her 2007 International Artist Award marked her first AMA as a solo artist. She was also the first woman to receive the award.
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Rihanna
Back in 2007, the “Umbrella” singer took home the trophy for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist—a category, she said, she did not expect to win.
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Sam Smith
In 2014, the In the Lonely Hour performer won Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. Referencing his album, the singer said he couldn’t feel further from lonely with all the love from his fans.
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Britney Spears
Back in 2000, the Princess of Pop was dubbed Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist, causing her to smile from ear to ear.
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Ariana Grande
It was only four years ago that the Yours Truly singer won Kohl’s New Artist of the Year Award. Grande was a tad nervous when she accepted the award but made sure to thank her fans.
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Bruno Mars
In 2011, Mars won Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist. During his speech, the singer gave a special shout-out to his family in Hawaii.
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Kanye West
2008 was a good year for the rapper. Not only did he win Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Graduation, but he also took home the trophy for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist.
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Nicki Minaj
The Pink Friday singer couldn’t hold back the tears during her acceptance speech for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album in 2011. She also won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist that same year.
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Selena Gomez
At the 2016 AMAs, the Revival singer won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and made a heartfelt speech. The AMAs marked her first public appearance since her hiatus.
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Drake
Not only did Drake win his first AMA in 2016, but he also took home four trophies. The “Hotline Bling” singer won Favorite Artist, Album and Song in the Rap/Hip-Hop category, as well as Favorite Song in the Soul/R&B category for his work with Rihanna on “Work.”
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We can’t wait to see which rookies take the stage this year.
Julia Michaels, Post Malone, Rae Sremmurd, Niall Horan and James Arthur are all up for New Artist of the Year at the 2017 American Music Awards.