2020-2021 American Music Awards: Aretha Franklin tribute includes Gladys Knight, Donnie McClurkin and more

By: Carla Hay  AXS Contributor Sep 27, 2018

124 124 16541761 6 y2018m09d27

Mixedgrill/YouTube

Gladys Knight, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary and CeCe Winans will be among the performers doing the Aretha Franklin tribute at the 2018 American Music Awards, which will take place Oct. 9 at Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. Tickets for the show can be purchased here. ABC will have the telecast of the show at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Knight also performed at "The People's Tribute to the Queen," a star-studded tribute to Franklin that took place Aug. 30 in Detroit, with other participating artists including Johnny Gill, the Four Tops and Angie Stone. Knight was also among the performers at Franklin's funeral on Aug. 31 in Detroit. The funeral was also an all-star event, with the performing lineup including Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Ronald Isley, Yolanda Adams, Faith Hill, Shirley Caesar, the Clark Sisters, Fantasia, Marvin Sapp, Tasha Cobbs-Leonard, the Williams Brothers and Jennifer Holliday.

Sony Music Chief Creative Officer Clive Davis is also planning an all-star Franklin tribute concert that will take place Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden. The participating celebrities are to be announced. There will be more tributes to come at award shows and other events. Franklin died of pancreatic cancer on Aug. 16.

As for the American Music Awards, previously announced performers are Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny, who will do their hit "I Like It" for the first time on TV. It will also be the first American Music Awards performance for all three artists. Mariah Carey will perform the world premiere of her song "With You," while Imagine Dragons will do "Natural." Carrie Underwood will do a selection from her current album Cry Pretty. Halsey, Khalid and Benny Blanco are teaming up for a performance of their hit "Eastside." Post Malone will do a song from his Beerbongs & Bentleys album in addition to performing "Psycho" with Ty Dolla $ign.

With eight nominations each, Cardi B and Drake are the leading contenders for the 2018 American Music Awards. The awards are voted for online by fans. A complete list of nominations can be found here. 

The 2018 American Music Awards will be hosted for the second year in a row by Tracee Ellis Ross. The actress, who currently stars in the ABC comedy series "Black-ish," has added executive producer duties this year for the American Music Awards. The 2018 American Music Awards show is produced by Dick Clark Productions. In addition to Ellis Ross, the show's other executive producers are Barry Adelman and Marc Bracco. Larry Klein is a producer.