The 2018 American Music Awards were a night full of celebration, whether it was Taylor Swift celebrating a new record, Twenty One Pilots celebrating a new album, Panic! at the Disco celebrating the music of Queen, or the lives of late rapper XXXTentacion and soul legend Aretha Franklin being celebrated by their loved ones and admirers.
That theme of celebration carried backstage at the Microsoft Theatre at LA Live, where winners made their way in front of photographers and reporters holding handfuls of hardware to do a victory lap. While you saw who won and performed on the telecast, that only told part of the story.
Below, what you didn’t see on TV at Tuesday night’s (Oct. 9) AMAs:
There’s a theme tonight @Zedd #AMAs pic.twitter.com/InKcnuuX3c
— billboard (@billboard) October 9, 2018
4:04 p.m. PT: Twenty One Pilots make their way through security outside the Microsoft Theatre at LA Live just over an hour before their big performance — no jumpsuits in sight.
.@thegr8khalid talks working with @normani again in the future. #AMAs pic.twitter.com/OEt3Y0YELY
— billboard (@billboard) October 9, 2018
.@DUALIPA on what inspires her songs #AMAs pic.twitter.com/f0QpeMZL1r
— billboard (@billboard) October 9, 2018
5:46 p.m.: Red-carpet host and Austin & Ally alum Laura Marano is the first celeb backstage to pose for pics, showing off her nude sequined floor-length gown and going off the clock, now that her pre-show work is done.
6:28 p.m.: Shawn Mendes wields his AMA for favorite artist – adult contemporary past photographers.
Shawn Mendes backstage, #AMA in hand pic.twitter.com/pirGEP2nUp
— Katie Atkinson (@ktatkinson) October 10, 2018
6:48 p.m.: Lenny Kravitz poses for pics backstage and takes a quick pause to check out Jennifer Lopez’s “Limitless” performance on the monitors.
6:57 p.m.: “Show us the grill!” photographers shout at Post Malone to get him to smile as he makes his way backstage with two new AMAs.
7:28 p.m.: As Kane Brown arrives to pose for photos backstage, the AMAs team hands him three trophies, even though he only won one award onstage. “Wait, what?!?” his rep shrieks in disbelief. “He won all three?!?” In addition to his televised favorite male artist – country win, he also won favorite album – country for his self-titled debut and favorite song – country for “Heaven.”
7:35 p.m.: Mariah Carey sashays backstage in a feather-duster, curve-hugging, sparkling gown and charms the cameras. “Mariah, we should do this every day!” one photographer yells, making the diva laugh as she walks away down the hall.
Photographers backstage at the #AMAs: “Mariah, we need to do this every day!” — @MariahCarey pic.twitter.com/5kRYei2MrD
— Katie Atkinson (@ktatkinson) October 10, 2018
Normani teases Sam Smith and Calvin Harris collabs at the AMAs pic.twitter.com/i1LfXblvYH
— billboard (@billboard) October 10, 2018
7:56 p.m.: Carrie Underwood, showing off a resplendent baby bump in her fitted black velvet gown, pauses to let her team make sure the train of her dress isn’t caught before stepping up on the photo platform. Safety first for the expectant mama.
8:14 p.m.: It takes a village to get Camila Cabello’s tulle-skirted princess gown situated on the photo platform while she balances her four new American Music Awards, including her new artist of the year win. “Does this look dumb?” she asks her team as she struggles to balance the quartet of prizes. (It’s impossible to look dumb after winning that many awards, Camila!)
Camila Cabello can barely hold on to her four #AMAs — pic.twitter.com/n8NHz6176S
— Katie Atkinson (@ktatkinson) October 10, 2018
