The first Annual American Music Awards was a televised awards show, produced by Dick Clark Productions, which aired on ABC February 19, 1974.
Ceremony The ceremony was hosted by Australian pop singer Helen Reddy, Motown singer Smokey Robinson, and honky tonk singer-songwriter Roger Miller. Reddy went on to win the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist in the year's ceremony.
Gladys Knight & the Pips performed Midnight Train to Georgia at the ceremony. In 2024, Knight reprised the performance at the 50th anniversary special.
Winners and nominees
Subcategory Winner Nominees RefPop/Rock Category Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist Jim Croce Elton John Stevie Wonder Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist Helen Reddy Roberta Flack Diana Ross Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group The Carpenters Gladys Knight & The Pips Tony Orlando & Dawn Favorite Pop/Rock Album Lady Sings The Blues – Diana Ross Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts The World Is A Ghetto – War Favorite Pop/Rock Song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – Tony Orlando & Dawn "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" – Jim Croce "Killing Me Softly" – Roberta Flack Soul/R&B Category Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist Stevie Wonder James Brown Al Green Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist Roberta Flack Aretha Franklin Betty Wright Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group The Temptations Gladys Knight & The Pips The O'Jays Favorite Soul/R&B Album I'm Still In Love With You – Al Green Let's Get It On – Marvin Gaye The World Is A Ghetto – War Favorite Soul/R&B Song "Superstition" – Stevie Wonder "Me and Mrs. Jones" – Billy Paul "Midnight Train to Georgia" – Gladys Knight & the PipsCountry Category Favorite Country Male Artist Charley Pride Merle Haggard Conway Twitty Favorite Country Female Artist Lynn Anderson Loretta Lynn Tammy Wynette Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group The Carter Family The Osborne Brothers The Statler Brothers Favorite Country Album A Sunshiny Day with Charley Pride – Charley Pride Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich First Songs Of The First Lady – Tammy Wynette Favorite Country Song "Behind Closed Doors" – Charlie Rich "Why Me" – Kris Kristofferson "You've Never Been This Far Before" – Conway TwittyMeritBing Crosby
References http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1974/amas.htm