When did Jennifer Lopez first perform at the American Music Awards? Singer reflects on music’s “power to heal” at the show’s 50th anniversary

Jennifer Lopez delivered a passionate speech at the 50th anniversary of the American Music Awards (AMAs). The Let's Get Loud hitmaker made a recorded appearance on Sunday, October 6, 2024, during the show's 50th anniversary special and acknowledged the incredible achievement of the awards and recalled watching the show growing up. The 55-year-old singer proclaimed:

"Music really does have the power to heal and to uplift and to connect us and the AMAs have been showcasing that for half a century now, and I'm excited for the next 50 years of music and magic."

The singer also recalled her various feats at the AMAs, including her first appearance in 2001, where she performed her hit single from that year, Love Don't Cost a Thing.

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"I remember watching them at home when I was a little girl" - Jennifer Lopez on the AMAs

Sunday's American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special saw Jennifer Lopez reflect on her appearances at the ceremony over the years. In a taped appearance, the singer-actress talked about the show's incredible achievement.

"It's pretty incredible, right? Fifty years of the American Music Awards. I remember watching them at home when I was a little girl."

The recording cut to a clip of Lopez's first performance at the 28th AMAs in 2001. At the time the singer performed her hit track Love Don't Cost a Thing, the lead single from her 2001 second studio album J.Lo. Lopez, who sported a red and white striped, long-sleeved crop top, electrified the Paris-themed stage with her slick dance moves with her posse of backup dancers.

During her recorded appearance, the singer exclaimed, "What!" as she recalled that her first performance was from 2001, which she noted was "so long ago." The clip then cuts to Lopez receiving the Favorite Latin Artist Award at the 2011 American Music Awards. The singer remarked:

"Winning a fan-voted award is incredibly special because it's directly from the people that you make the music for. It's just a humbling experience."

In 2015, four years after bagging her 2011 award, Jennifer Lopez hosted the American Music Awards. The singer stated in her recorded appearance that hosting the show was obviously "a huge honor." While hosting the show, Lopez decided to switch things up and ended up sporting 12 different outfits in six hours. The singer explained:

"I decided that I was gonna change for every time I came out there. We did this dance medley to all of these amazing songs from that year, and I wanted everyone to feel that love and energy."

The singer also teased that she might attempt the feat again in the future. Later in the recording, Jennifer Lopez opened up about her Celia Cruz tribute performance at the 2013 AMAs, where she performed three of the legendary Cuban singer's hit tracks - Químbara, Bemba Colorá, and La Vida Es Un Carnaval. Lopez said:

"Performing a Celia Cruz tribute was one of the most special nights of my life ever. She's such an icon, and not just in Latin music, but across the world."

As mentioned earlier, Jennifer Lopez opened up about the power of music to heal, connect, and uplift people, all qualities embodied by the AMAs. Apart from Jennifer Lopez, the other special guests of the show included Carrie Underwood, Gloria Estefan, and Jimmy Kimmel. CBS labeled the American Music Awards' 50th Anniversary Special as:

"An evening celebrating half a century of groundbreaking music, iconic moments, unforgettable performances, and rich pop culture history."

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The special is the first AMA event since November 2022 and airs on CBS. It is available to stream on Paramount+.