See BILLY IDOL's 'Lifetime Achievement Award' Acceptance Speech And Performance At 2026 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

Rock legend Billy Idol received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 52nd American Music Awards this past weekend. Idol celebrated the honor with his first-ever AMAs performance with longtime collaborator/guitarist Steve Stevens, playing a medley of his biggest hits, including "Eyes Without A Face" and "Dancing With Myself". Watch/share the performance below, along with Idol's acceptance speech.

"When I started out in punk rock back in 1976, we didn't know if what we were doing would last six months, let alone 50 years. But we were doing it for the love," Idol noted, adding, "to any kid out there who loves rock and roll music — or any kind of music — as much as I do, and if you're inspired to chase that sense of freedom and pursue a life of art, all I can say is, 'pick up an instrument, find out who you are, and be it.'"

This summer, Idol returns to the road for the next leg of his highly successful world tour, "It's A Nice Day To…Tour Again!", which saw him sell out venues across the U.S., Europe and Latin America throughout the past year. DEVO, Susanna Hoffs, VILLANELLE and GROCERY BAG will support Idol on select dates; produced by Live Nation, the run of arenas and amphitheaters, kicks off at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania on August 7. Tickets are available now at billyidol.net/tour.

Idol will also be performing a week-long run of shows at Las Vegas' Fontainebleau for his "Hot In The City: Las Vegas" residency August 28-September 5.

Idol's live show has been hailed as "a strong, forceful show just crackling with energy" by the Houston Press, while Creative Loafing raves that Idol "has a lot left to offer and is capable of owning a concert stage with the same authority and charisma he's always boasted" and the Dallas Observer adds that "over forty years into Billy Idol's career, he remains just as remarkable as he started."

Later this year, Idol and Stevens will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as members of the Class Of 2026 along with Phil Collins, IRON MAIDEN, JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER, OASIS, Sade, Luther Vandross and the WU-TANG CLAN; as well as Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons with the Early Influence Award; Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin with the Musical Excellence Award; and Ed Sullivan with the Ahmet Ertegun Award. The 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction will tape on November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The 2026 ceremony will then debut in December on ABC and Disney+. In 2027, the induction ceremony will return to Cleveland.

Ticket on-sale information for the 2026 induction ceremony will be announced at a later date. Select Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame donors and members receive exclusive induction ticket opportunities. Donate or join by June 30, 2026 to be eligible. Visit rockhall.com/membership to learn more.

"Being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame alongside so many of my heroes and influences is a tremendous honor," notes Idol. "And to be inducted alongside my longtime compatriot Steve Stevens makes this all even more special.

"When I first started playing with GENERATION X 50 years ago, it was purely out of love for the music we were making and the scene that we were lucky enough to be a part of. Nobody, especially me, thought it would take me to where I am today. I'm incredibly grateful to all the people who have been behind me over the years, because none of this would have been possible without them. This honor is for my fans, and everyone who has been on this journey with me, as much as it is for me."

Stevens adds, "I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with Billy Idol. If there's anyone that deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame, it's Billy. For more than four decades, we have shared a remarkable journey full of music, creativity and unforgettable experiences. Thank you to the Rock Hall, to the fans, and to everyone who's been part of the story!"

The new feature-length documentary film "Billy Idol Should Be Dead", directed by three-time Grammy winner Jonas Åkerlund and produced by Live Nation Studios, is streaming now on Hulu following a successful theatrical run. The documentary — hailed by critic Jeffrey Lyons as "informative and engaging," while Forbes calls it "poignant" and "moving" — traces the life and career of punk pioneer turned rock 'n' roll icon Billy Idol. Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTV era and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain one of the most beloved figures in rock 'n' roll, fifty years into his career.

Idol's first full-length album of new music in over a decade, "Dream Into It", is out now on Dark Horse Records. The album reached No. 7 on the U.S. Top Albums chart and No. 4 on the U.S. Current Rock Album chart, No. 9 on the U.K. Official Album Sales chart and No. 2 on the German Top 100 Album chart. "Dream Into It" continues to see extensive critical acclaim from The New Yorker, New York Magazine, AARP The Magazine, Consequence, Billboard, USA Today and many more. The album includes performance and co-writing contributions throughout from Idol's longtime guitarist/collaborator Steve Stevens plus appearances by Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett and Alison Mosshart of THE KILLS, and is produced by Tommy English (KACEY MUSGRAVES, BLINK 182, BØRNS, K. FLAY).