Stevie Wonder will pay tribute to Lionel Richie at the 2022 American Music Awards (AMAs) with a special performance, according to ABC and Dick Clark productions.
Ari Lennox, a rising star in R&B, and Charlie Puth, a pop artist, will perform with him. Richie’s classics will be medleyed by the trio.
The prized Icon Award, which “honors an artist whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry.” will go to Richie, a 17-time AMA winner.
“I’m immensely grateful for a career that has taken me to places I never imagined that I’d go, from arenas worldwide to studio sets to the AMA stage,” said Richie. “I can recall one of the first times I got to perform at the AMAs. It was to sing ‘We Are the World’ among the most iconic musicians of my generation, so it is surreal to be receiving this recognition 36 years later.”
Jesse Collins, AMAs’ executive producer, and showrunner added, “Lionel Richie has had a profound impact on countless people around the world and on the music industry as a whole. From the millions of dollars raised due to ‘We Are the World’ to the global influence his unique sound still has today, Richie is the definition of a living legend, and honoring him with the AMAs Icon Award is a no-brainer.”
Among the other performers who have been confirmed for the AMAs are Anitta, Bebe Rexha, David Guetta, D-Nice, GloRilla, J.I.D. Lil Baby, Tems, Wizkid, and Yola.
The 2022 American Music Awards, hosted by Wayne Brady, will be broadcast live on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET.