American Music Awards of 1985
Encyclopedia
The 12th Annual American Music Awards
were held on January 28, 1985.
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
were held on January 28, 1985.
Pop/Rock Category
| Subcategory | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist | Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... |
Prince Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of... Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Cyndi Lauper Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album... |
Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... Linda Ronstadt Linda Ronstadt Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group | Daryl Hall & John Oates | Huey Lewis & The News Huey Lewis & the News Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts... Van Halen Van Halen Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Album | Purple Rain Purple Rain (album) Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by Prince, the first to officially be credited to Prince and The Revolution, and is the soundtrack album to the 1984 film Purple Rain.Purple Rain is regularly ranked among the best albums in pop music history... - Prince Prince (musician) Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of... |
Thriller Thriller (album) Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall... - Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Single | "Dancing In The Dark" - Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band... |
"When Doves Cry When Doves Cry A hit cover version by R&B singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland in 1996 for Ginuwine's The Bachelor album, Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for its jungle music-inspired instrumental track.-Charts:-Other cover versions:... " - Prince "What's Love Got To Do With It" - Tina Turner Tina Turner Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the... |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Video | "Hello Hello (Lionel Richie song) "Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one... " - Lionel Richie |
"Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker, Jr. Ray Parker, Jr. Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and... "When Doves Cry" - Prince |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Male Video Artist | Lionel Richie | Prince Bruce Springsteen |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist | Cyndi Lauper | Laura Branigan Laura Branigan Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"... Tina Turner |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group Video Artist | Huey Lewis & The News Huey Lewis & the News Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts... |
Culture Club Culture Club Culture Club are a British rock band who were part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band consisted of Boy George , Mikey Craig , Roy Hay and Jon Moss... Duran Duran Duran Duran Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States... |
Soul/R&B Category
| Subcategory | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist | Lionel Richie | Michael Jackson Prince |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist | Tina Turner Tina Turner Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the... |
Sheila E. Sheila E. Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an American drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr.-Early life and Prince period:... Chaka Khan Chaka Khan Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career... |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo, or Group | The Pointer Sisters | The Jacksons Kool & The Gang Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and... |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Purple Rain - Prince | Thriller - Michael Jackson Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Single | "When Doves Cry When Doves Cry A hit cover version by R&B singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland in 1996 for Ginuwine's The Bachelor album, Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for its jungle music-inspired instrumental track.-Charts:-Other cover versions:... " - Prince |
"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) "Caribbean Queen" is a song by Billy Ocean. Co-written and co-produced by Keith Diamond, it climbed to number one on both the soul singles and Hot 100, in the U.S... " - Billy Ocean Billy Ocean Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s... "What's Love Got To Do With It" - Tina Turner |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Video | "Hello" - Lionel Richie | "Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker, Jr. "When Doves Cry" - Prince |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Male Video Artist | Lionel Richie | Ray Parker, Jr. Prince |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Female Video Artist | Tina Turner | Sheila E. Chaka Khan |
| Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group Video Artist | The Pointer Sisters | Kool & The Gang The Time The Time (band) The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:... |
Country Category
| Subcategory | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite Country Male Artist | Kenny Rogers Kenny Rogers Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur... |
Ricky Skaggs Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:... Hank Williams, Jr. Hank Williams, Jr. Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country... |
| Favorite Country Female Artist | Barbara Mandrell Barbara Mandrell Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s... |
Anne Murray Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies.... Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... |
| Favorite Country Band, Duo, or Group | Alabama Alabama (band) Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook... |
The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s... The Statler Brothers |
| Favorite Country Album | Eyes That See in the Dark Eyes That See in the Dark - Notes :The version of "I Will Always Love You" featured on this album was written by Barry and Maurice Gibb, and is hence not the same as the more famous song of the same name, which was written by Dolly Parton... - Kenny Rogers |
Roll On Roll On (Alabama album) Roll On is the fifth studio album of country music band Alabama. Iit was released in 1984.All four singles released from this album reached Number One on the Hot Country Singles chart: "Roll On ", "When We Make Love", "If You're Gonna Play in Texas " and " Fire in the Night"... - Alabama Don't Cheat in Our Hometown Don't Cheat in Our Hometown (album) Don't Cheat in Our Hometown is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Ricky Skaggs. It was released in 1983 via Epic Records. The album peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.-Track listing:... - Ricky Skaggs Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:... |
| Favorite Country Single | "Islands in the Stream Islands in the Stream "Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton... " - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... |
"Mama He's Crazy" - The Judds The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna Judd. Signed to RCA Records in 1983, the duo released six studio albums between then and 1991. One of the most successful acts in country music history, The Judds won five Grammy Awards for Best Country... "A Little Good News" - Anne Murray |
| Favorite Country Video | "A Little Good News" - Anne Murray Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies.... |
"Tougher Than Leather" - Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... "Elizabeth" - The Statler Brothers |
| Favorite Country Male Video Artist | Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... |
Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL... Hank Williams, Jr. |
| Favorite Country Female Video Artist | Anne Murray | Gus Hardin Gus Hardin Gus Hardin was a country music singer.-Career:Hardin was born in 1945 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her rise to country music popularity began in 1983 with her first RCA Records single, the top 10 hit "After The Last Goodbye"... Charly McClain Charly McClain Charlotte Denise McClain is an American country music singer, best-known for series of Country hits during the 1980s.... |
| Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group Video Artist | The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s... |
The Statler Borhters Hank Williams, Jr. & Waylon Jennings |