American Music Awards of 1989

The 16th Annual American Music Awards were held on January 30, 1989.

16th Annual American Music Awards
Date	January 30, 1989
Country	United States
Hosted by	Anita Baker Debbie Gibson Kenny Rogers Rod Stewart
First award	1973
Television/radio coverage
Network	ABC
Produced by	Dick Clark Productions
← 1988 · American Music Awards · 1990 →

Winners and nominees

Subcategory	Winner	Nominees
Pop/Rock Category
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist	George Michael	Michael Jackson Steve Winwood
Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist	Whitney Houston	Tracy Chapman Debbie Gibson
Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group	Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine	Def Leppard Van Halen
Favorite Pop/Rock Album	Dirty Dancing Soundtrack	Hysteria - Def Leppard Faith - George Michael
Favorite Pop/Rock Song	"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses	"Never Gonna Give You Up" - Rick Astley "Roll With It" - Steve Winwood
Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist	Tracy Chapman	Rick Astley Taylor Dayne
Soul/R&B Category
Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist	George Michael	Bobby Brown Michael Jackson
Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist	Whitney Houston	Natalie Cole Sade
Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group	Gladys Knight & The Pips	New Edition Salt-N-Pepa
Favorite Soul/R&B Album	Faith - George Michael	All Our Love - Gladys Knight & The Pips Make It Last Forever - Keith Sweat
Favorite Soul/R&B Song	"Nice 'N' Slow" - Freddie Jackson	"Off on Your Own (Girl)" - Al B. Sure! "Girlfriend" - Pebbles
Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist	Al B. Sure!	Tony! Toni! Tone! Karyn White
Country Category
Favorite Country Male Artist	Randy Travis	George Strait Hank Williams, Jr.
Favorite Country Female Artist	Reba McEntire	Rosanne Cash Tanya Tucker
Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group	Alabama	The Judds The Oak Ridge Boys
Favorite Country Album	Always & Forever - Randy Travis	If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' - George Strait Wild-Eyed Dream - Ricky Van Shelton
Favorite Country Song	"I Told You So" - Randy Travis	"Fallin' Again" - Alabama "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" - Kathy Mattea
Favorite Country New Artist	Patty Loveless	Larry Boone The McCarters
Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Category
Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist	Def Leppard	Guns N' Roses Van Halen
Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album	Hysteria - Def Leppard	"Appetite for Destruction" - Guns N' Roses "OU812" - Van Halen
Rap/Hip-Hop Category
Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist	DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince	Run-D.M.C. Salt-N-Pepa
Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album	He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince	"It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" - Public Enemy "Tougher Than Leather" - Run-D.M.C.
Merit
Willie Nelson
Special Achievement Award
Michael Jackson

References

• Rock On The Net: 16th American Music Awards (presented in 1989)