Janet Jackson Receives ICON Award at the 2025 American Music Awards: ‘I Don’t Consider Myself an Icon’
The 2025 awards show airs on Monday, May 26 live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+
By Ilana Kaplan
May 26, 2025
Janet Jackson is forever an icon — especially at the 2025 American Music Awards.
The five-time Grammy winner received the ICON Award, who CBS and Dick Clark Productions previously referred to as “one of the most influential entertainers of the modern era,” during the Tuesday, May 13 ceremony.
Ahead of accepting the honor, Jackson, 59, took the stage in loose-fitting jeans, a white puffer coat and a white tee and kicked off her set with her 2001 classic “Someone to Call My Lover.” She then transitioned into a funky rendition of her 2001 hit “All for You,” which included a dance break remix with a striking guitar solo.
Afterward, Tasha Smith presented the award to Jackson with a heartfelt introduction.
“I love you so much,” Jackson began her acceptance speech. “I am so so honored. I am so grateful. I mean, no disrespect in any way, but I don’t consider myself an icon.”
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