Kelly Clarkson & Pink land standing ovation with powerful AMAs opening duet

Pink and Kelly Clarkson got the 2017 American Music Awards off to an emotional start on Sunday (19Nov17) with a cover of R.E.M's Everybody Hurts.

The big show's opening number, which featured the two singers performing in front of a photo montage of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics in scenes from 2017 shootings, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters, was dedicated to the first responders, who put themselves in harm's way.

Before the show, Clarkson hit the red carpet with her daughter and stepdaughter and revealed her first performance with Pink lived up to the hype.

"It's literally one of the highlights of my career," she said. "Her (Pink's) voice in my in-ears (monitors)... Oh, just gorgeous."

The two singers had never met before the dress rehearsal but when they finally hit the AMAs stage at the beginning of the ceremony, their duet was perfect, wowing the audience and landing them a standing ovation.

Following the big opening, Imagine Dragons became the first winners of the night, picking up the prize for Favorite Duo or Group: Pop/Rock.

Tracee Ellis Ross is hosting the show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Her mother, Diana Ross, is the night's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.