2025 American Music Awards Partners With Easy Day Foundation to Honor Veterans During Memorial Day Telecast

The upcoming 2025 American Music Awards show is partnering with Easy Day Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to assisting veterans in their transition back to civilian life, the foundation and Dick Clark Productions announced Monday morning (May 5).

According to the announcement, viewers will see “several special in-show moments that celebrate veterans while raising funds for a variety of national and local organizations” during the telecast of the AMAs on May 26. The fan-voted awards show, for which Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s nominations, airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT; Jennifer Lopez is hosting.

Easy Day’s collaboration with the American Music Awards is a well-timed effort, as May 26 is Memorial Day and May is Military Appreciation Month. There will be two performances to help honor those who’ve served, plus a presentation of a special award “honoring a marquee talent who uses their platform to make meaningful contributions to the Veteran community,” the team reveals. Stories from active-duty service members and veterans are expected to be heard during the event, which will have seating in the audience reserved for veterans to attend this year’s awards show.

“PMC and Dick Clark Productions are deeply honored to spotlight our nation’s heroes through this meaningful partnership with Easy Day Foundation and the most preeminent organizations supporting our nation’s heroes,” says Gerry Byrne, vice chairman of Penske Media Corporation and a Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran. “The transition from service to civilian life isn’t easy and these special moments during the AMAs shine a much-needed light on the real challenges Veterans face and the critical support systems required to help them navigate life after service.” 

Money raised from in-show fundraising moments will benefit a number of veteran service organizations: Bob Woodruff Foundation, Boot Campaign, Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Fisher House, the Folded Flag Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Team Rubicon and UNLV’s Military and Veteran Services Center. Additionally, a portion of ticket sales is being allocated to the Easy Day Foundation and its partners.

The Easy Day Foundation, co-founded by Frank Fertitta IV and Landon Gyulay and based in Las Vegas — the city where the AMAs take place this year — assists veterans with critical needs, such as mental health care, job training and placement, and family support services in their return to civilian life.

“Our goal at this year’s American Music Awards is to not only honor the memory of our fallen heroes but to spotlight the ongoing needs of millions of veterans as they reintegrate into civilian life,” Fertitta says. “We’re proud to be part of an iconic award show like the American Music Awards that has the power to raise awareness, inspire compassion and drive real change.”

Gyulay adds, “Partnering with the AMAs gives us a powerful platform to elevate the stories of our veterans and amplify the mission of Easy Day. These brave men and women have given their all for our freedom and our AMAs partnership allows us to turn national attention into national action on their behalf.” 

The American Music Awards engages music fans to vote in its awards categories. Nominees (see the full list here) are based on key fan interactions — as reflected on the Billboard charts — including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and tour grosses. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and Luminate, and cover the data tracking eligibility period of March 22, 2024 through March 20, 2025. Fan voting for the 2025 AMAs is now open via VoteAMAs.com and the @AMAs Instagram profile.

The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.