LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- dick clark productions (dcp) has announced that music icon and eleven-time American Music Award-winner Stevie Wonder will perform a tribute to the legendary Dick Clark on "The 40^th Anniversary American Music Awards®." The performance will be introduced by Ryan Seacrest. Stevie Wonder joins previously announced performers including Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepsen, Carrie Underwood, Ke$ha, Linkin Park, Nicki Minaj, No Doubt, P!nk, Pitbull, Psy, Taylor Swift, Usher, The Wanted and Swizz Beatz featuring Chris Brown and Ludacris on this year's show, which will be broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT) on ABC.

Dick Clark, who passed away earlier this year, created the "American Music Awards" in 1973 to give the music-loving public an opportunity to recognize their favorite artists and records of the year. Clark had long been an ambassador for rock 'n' roll, helping to make this new youth-oriented music acceptable to adults in the '50s, with his clean-cut looks and high standards for teen-aged behavior on his daily "American Bandstand" show. After its inception, he grew the "American Music Awards" through decades of diverse music to become one of the industry's biggest events.

AMA producer Larry Klein stated, "Without a Dick Clark, our entire current musical repertoire might be classical in nature. Not that there's anything wrong with classical music, but Clark helped Beethoven roll over and tell Tchaikovsky the news. Sunday's tribute to Dick Clark performed by the iconic Stevie Wonder is going to be talked about for years to come."

"I am honored to be a part of the AMAs tribute to Dick Clark. He was a mentor, friend and a wonderful advocate for popular music, helping make it one of the cornerstones of American culture. We miss him dearly," said Ryan Seacrest. "He gave hundreds of stars their national TV debut. So, it's only fitting that one of music's legends, Stevie Wonder, will play at Sunday's tribute. It will be a great show."

At the inaugural telecast of the "American Music Awards," Stevie Wonder received the award for the Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Superstition," as well as Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist. Since then, he has won nine AMAs including an Award of Merit in 1982.

Clips from the past 40 years of the AMAs including historic footage of Stevie Wonder are available at www.abcmedianet.com. Additional acts and presenters will be announced in the coming days. Tickets are on sale (please visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-877-234-8425.).

For the sixth year, winners will be determined by online voting. Artists will be honored in the categories of Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin, Contemporary Inspirational and -- for the first year ever -- Electronic Dance Music. Fans can go to the official homepage of "The 40^th Anniversary American Music Awards," ama.abc.com, to find nominations, performer and presenter announcements, artist information and more.

For the fourth consecutive year, the live online pre-show "Coca-Cola Red Carpet LIVE! @ The 2012 AMAs" will stream live for fans worldwide starting at 5:00 p.m., ET / 2:00 p.m., PT and will be hosted by Lance Bass, Kimberly Cole, Brad Goreski, Sean Kingston, Eden Sher and Tristan Wilds, as well as Nokia correspondent Andy Grammer. Viewers will be able to watch the live show on ABC.com, AMAs365.com, Cokemusic.com, Livestream, Ustream, POPSUGAR.com, YouTube, and through AP Live Entertainment. Livestream and Ustream-powered video players will be made available to media partners, as well as for the websites and Facebook Pages of participating talent.

"The 40^th Anniversary American Music Awards" is produced by dick clark productions, inc. Allen Shapiro and Orly Adelson will executive produce the show. Larry Klein will produce. The program will be broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-14,D,L,S parental guideline.

Fans can go to ama.abc.com, AMAs365.com, follow the AMAs on Twitter @theamas, and like the AMAs on Facebook at facebook.com/amas to find performer and presenter announcements, artist information, Memes, Gifs and more. Fans can now watch "AMAs On Demand," a weekly web series hosted by Lance Bass, Kimberly Cole and Megan Turney. The web series is published weekly to YouTube (youtube.com/awardsshownetwork), ABC.com and other streaming partners and covers all things "AMA," including breaking news, artist spotlights, retrospectives on fashion, acceptance speeches, red carpet and backstage interviews.

American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, Stevie Wonder, is one of the most celebrated and prominent figures in popular music, who at the age of 13, was the youngest recording artist to have achieved a #1 single with "Fingertips, Part 2." Subsequently, he was the first to simultaneously reach #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, R&B Singles and Album Charts. To date, he has amassed 49 Top Forty singles, 32 #1 singles and worldwide sales of over 100 million units. Stevie has won 25 Grammy Awards, the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

In 1983, Stevie spearheaded the realization of "Martin Luther King Day" as a national holiday. His participation in the 1985 "We Are The World" fundraiser for hunger in Africa was a music industry milestone, while his involvement to put an end to apartheid in South Africa is legendary. In 1999, he became the youngest recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. Stevie is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame. 

In 2009, Stevie was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and performed his commission, "Sketches Of A Life," which placed him in a very select group of eminent composers who have received library commissions, ranging from Aaron Copeland to Leonard Bernstein to Paquito D'Rivera.  Stevie is a Commander of France's National Order of Arts and Letters, and is a designated United Nations Messenger of Peace with a special focus on persons with disabilities.

About dick clark productions, inc. –

Founded in 1957, dick clark productions, inc. (dcp) is a leading independent producer of television programming. dcp produces perennial hits such as the "American Music Awards," "Golden Globe Awards," "Academy of Country Music Awards," and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." dcp also produces popular weekly television programming, including "So You Think You Can Dance," and owns and maintains one of the world's most unique and extensive entertainment libraries, which includes more than 30 years of "American Bandstand" footage. For additional information about dcp, please visit www.dickclarkproductions.com

About the American Music Awards –

In 1973 Dick Clark created the American Music Awards to pay tribute to popular musicians from various genres of music and to put audiences in touch with the latest phenomena in American music. Since its founding, the AMAs have honored and showcased the talents of some of the biggest names in the music industry. Archived footage and photography are available upon request.

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