Fans Shocked as Eminem Beats Kendrick & Drake for AMA Hip-Hop Award

Eminem took home the award for Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2025 American Music Awards, but the win didn’t come without controversy.

Em edged out two of 2024’s most talked-about rappers—Drake and Kendrick Lamar—both of whom were in the midst of one of hip-hop’s most public and personal beefs. Kendrick dropped scathing diss tracks like Not Like Us while Drake responded with Family Matters, making them the clear centerpieces of rap conversation.

Eminem, meanwhile, has remained largely quiet musically after 2024’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). That silence is exactly what has fans divided.

On X (formerly Twitter), one fan wrote, “How does a guy with no hits this year beat the two dudes literally at war for the crown?” Another added, “This is just a legacy award at this point. Drake and Kendrick carried the genre this year.”

Others pushed back, pointing to Eminem’s diehard fanbase and influence. “Say what you want, but the people still love Slim,” a user posted. The AMAs are fan-voted, which means Stan Nation showed up and showed out.

You can read Billboard’s original coverage of the win here.

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Fans Shocked as Eminem Beats Kendrick & Drake for AMA Hip-Hop Award  was originally published on zhiphopcleveland.com