Overview

• Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton pre-recorded their American Music Awards performances at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on May 26 but the broadcast presented them as live.
• Attendees watching large screens instead of on-stage sets publicly expressed disappointment after discovering the segments were taped, triggering widespread social media criticism.
• Other headliners including Benson Boone, Lainey Wilson and Icon Award recipient Janet Jackson performed live, highlighting the contrast with the pre-recorded duos’ appearances.
• A source close to production confirmed to Billboard that taping performances in front of a live audience before the broadcast is a common practice at major award shows.
• On May 28, Shelton posted on X that he and Stefani “came and performed when the show asked us to,” adding there was “really nothing else to say” about the pretaped segments.