Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 36th annual American Music Awards last night at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live. The show, its arrivals, a pre-show telecast, and a set of high-profile after-parties made use of areas throughout the L.A. Live complex, where a spate of new venues is opening this fall and winter.
Dick Clark Productions produced the show, which featured a record 19 performances, including appearances by Beyoncé, Coldplay, the Jonas Brothers, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and New Kids on the Block. Billy Ray Cyrus, David Archuleta, David Cook, Jamie Foxx, and Steven Tyler were among the presenters. Chris Brown picked up three awards, and Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and West, each took home two.
Prior to the show, ABC premiered a live red carpet arrivals show with hosts Carrie Ann Inaba and Chris Harrison, and correspondents Nicole Sherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, and High School Musical's Corbin Bleu. Cook performed on the 40,000-square-foot Nokia Plaza in the growing L.A. Live development. 15/40 Productions worked on the pre-telecast, as well as design, coordination, production management, and staging for arrivals, plus handled the overall production and design for the award show's official after-party for about 1,500 on L.A. Live's Event Deck. "It was a totally stylized, rock 'n' roll party," said 15/40's Travis Jackson.
Among the other big after-parties was Target's fete with Christina Aguilera to kick off the new alfresco Target Terrace space at L.A. Live. The party also celebrated the retailer's partnership with the artist as the exclusive distributor for her new greatest-hits album. About 300 guests, including Kimmel and Sarah Silverman, made the cut. Caravents produced the event at the new rooftop location.