Mariah Carey graced the stage at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special, which aired Sunday night (Oct. 6) on CBS.
Introduced by Jennifer Hudson, who also performed earlier in the night, Carey emerged on stage from a sparkling pink M-shaped door, donning a lavish black and cream gown.
The 10-time AMA winner began her set with a short snippet of “Don’t Forget About Us” before delivering an astounding rendition of her hit “We Belong Together.”
Ahead of Carey’s performance, she shared what it meant to celebrate the award show’s 50th anniversary. “It’s pretty amazing to be a part of the 50th anniversary of the American Music Awards,” she said. “This was the first awards show I ever was on. Ever since then, I’ve always just been grateful to be a part of all the moments.”
The #AMAs were the first award show that the queen @MariahCarey was on !
Don’t miss #AMAs50 tonight at 8ET | 5PT on @CBS and @paramountplus! pic.twitter.com/lZXHVjb5ZT
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) October 6, 2024
Carey’s appearance at the AMAs marks the official launch of the 20th anniversary celebration of The Emancipation of Mimi. The groundbreaking comeback album was released April 12, 2005.
The album spawned the No. 1 hits “Don’t Forget About Us” and “We Belong Together.” The latter ballad, which Carey co-wrote with Jermaine Dupri, Johntá Austin and Manuel Seal, spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“We Belong Together” earned Carey two Grammys at the 48th ceremony in 2006, including Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. (Carey also won a Grammy for Best R&B Album for The Emancipation of Mimi at the same event.)
In 2021, Carey released six EPs featuring remixed versions of the singles from The Emancipation of Mimi as part of her #MC30 campaign, which celebrated her 30th year in music. The EPs included It’s Like That, We Belong Together, Don’t Forget About Us, Shake It Off, Say Something, and Your Girl.
Carey will continue her Emancipation of Mimi celebration in 2025. On Jan. 31, she will launch the third leg of Mariah Carey: The Celebration of Mimi Live in Las Vegas, her residency that began earlier in the spring. She will perform eight shows through Feb. 15.
Before Carey relaunches her Vegas residency, the Queen of Christmas will embark on her holiday tour, Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time.
The festive tour begins Nov. 6 in Highland, California, and will make stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and more, before concluding Dec. 17 in Brooklyn.
Watch Mariah Carey’s full performance at the AMAs 50th Anniversary Special below.
