The American Music Special Achievement Award is presented by the

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...

to artists who have accomplished impressive success in their careers. The award has been given only five times, with Mariah Carey being the only artist to receive the award twice.

History

; Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

was the first recipient ever of the achievement award at the American Music Awards of 1989. ; Prince In 1990,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

became the second artist to be honored with the accolade. The award was presented to Prince by

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

. ; Mariah Carey On January 17, 2000, Mariah Carey was the 3rd and the first female recipient of the American Music Award of Achievement. Mariah was honored for being the only artist in music history to have a # 1 single every year in one decade (the 1990s), also for having the most #1 singles of any solo female artist (14 at the time), and for surpassing

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

for spending the most weeks as Billboard Hot 100's #1 artist. the honor was presented to Mariah by actress and singer Olivia Newton-John. On November 23, 2008, actor

Terrence Howard Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...

presented Mariah with the honor of the achievement award once again for her 2008 world record of having the most number one singles on Billboard's Hot 100 chart of any solo artist in music history, which includes

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

when "Touch My Body" from Mariah's 2008 album "E=MC2" became her 18th #1 single. Also for spending the most weeks as the Billboard Hot 100 chart's number one artist, more weeks than any artist in music history. Mariah Carey is the only previous American Music Award of Achievement recipient to receive the award twice. Katy Perry During the 2011 American Music Awards, Katy Perry became the 2nd female recipient of the American Music Award of Achievement for her accomplishment as the first female artist to have five number-one singles from one album.

Award recipients

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:American Music Award For Achievement American Music Awards Awards established in 1989 1989 establishments in the United States