ABC and dick clark productions have announced Stevie Wonder will pay homage to Lionel Richie at the 2022 American Music Awards (AMAs) with a special performance.
He will be joined by R&B sensation Ari Lennox and pop singer Charlie Puth. The three will perform a medley of Richie’s hits.
Richie, a 17-time AMA winner, is set to receive the coveted Icon Award, which “honors an artist whose body of work has marked a global influence over the music industry.”
“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.”
Other artists scheduled to perform at the AMAs include Anitta, Bebe Rexha, David Guetta, D-Nice, GloRilla, J.I.D. Lil Baby, Tems, Wizkid and Yola, among others.
Hosted by Wayne Brady, the 2022 American Music Awards will air live Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET.