Kai Cenat appeared genuinely surprised by Eminem’s victory for Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist at Monday night’s American Music Awards.
Though Kai was careful to express his admiration for Em, whose two wins that evening represented his first AMAs triumphs in 15 years, his immediate reaction clearly indicated he had been rooting for someone else to take the prize. The Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist category featured Marshall Mathers competing against Drake, Future, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler, The Creator.
Let’s dive deeper into what happened.
How did Kai Cenat react to Eminem winning Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2025 American Music Awards?
When Em’s name got called out, Kai, who had also served as a co-presenter during Monday night’s AMAs ceremony, initially let his face say it all. He then showed respect for Em while subtly raising questions about his victory in that specific category.
“Let’s be real,” he stated during his stream. “I fuck with Slim Shady but let’s be real.”
After that, Kai continued to give Em his props while still expressing doubt about the win.
“Eminem is tough but let’s be real though, gang,” he commented.
How did Eminem react to his American Music Awards win?
“I think it’s been 23 years since I won my first AMA and I’m 24 years old. That’s crazy,” Em, who wasn’t present at the Vegas ceremony, cracked in his acceptance video. “Seriously, man. Thank you to the fans, thank you everybody who voted for me. I appreciate y’all.”
How were winners determined for the 2025 American Music Awards?
The American Music Awards ceremony markets itself as “the world’s largest fan-voted music awards show.” In other words, this means AMA winners are, according to show organizers, “voted entirely by fans.” Starting nominees get chosen based on streaming numbers, album and song sales, radio airplay, and touring revenue.
Who were the other winners at the 2025 American Music Awards?
Billie Eilish walked away with several victories, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. New Artist of the Year, on the other hand, was awarded to Gracie Abrams. Additional winners in major categories featured Post Malone, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, SZA, and others. Em’s second win of the night came in the Favorite Hip-Hop Album category, which was awarded to his 2024 album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).
