New Edition and NKOTB Fans Argue Over Winner of 2021 AMAs Battle

Fans of New Edition and New Kids on the Block anxiously waited for the two Boston native boy bands to hit the stage at the American Music Awards. The two groups, both founded by Maurice Starr, would share the stage for the first time in their careers. The performance was part of a new segment for the award show, "My Hometown," where artists from major cities battle it out on stage with fellow artists from the same town that helped to shape them. 

Ahead of the battle, New Edition members Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown spoke about the impact of the moment. "It's not a battle, it's just us giving the fans what we think they deserve. This is purely just for entertainment," Brown told Shadow and Act in an exclusive interview.

Gill said the moment is years in the making. "New Kids are great friends of ours and come from Boston as well," Gill said. "And I just think that it was first and first and foremost, it was long overdue. Being able to collaborate and come together, and I think second, it's just that at this point in time when we look at where the music is and where the industry is, I think that we've now become the staple of what you know, what OG's are. And so we set an example and set the stage for the generation that's behind us."

The moment was well worth it. Fans of the two groups shared their thoughts on who won on social media.