On November 22 , Lambert performed " For Your Entertainment " at the '' American Music Awards of 2009 '' . The controversial performance , which was the night 's finale , showed Lambert kissing a male bassist and grabbing the crotch of another . In response , the Parents Television Council , a conservative decency group , urged viewers to complain to the FCC , though the performance aired " outside the FCC 's usual 6am-10pm time frame prohibiting the broadcast of indecent material " . ABC received about 1,500 telephoned complaints and cancelled Lambert 's performance of November 25 on '' Good Morning America '' . He was invited instead to appear on the '' Early Show '' on the same date . Discussing the incident in a '' Rolling Stone '' interview , Lambert stated : " Female performers have been doing this for years — pushing the envelope about sexuality — and the minute a man does it , everybody freaks out . We 're in 2009 — it 's time to take risks , be a little more brave , time to open people 's eyes and if it offends them , then maybe I 'm not for them . My goal was not to piss people off , it was to promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom . " Lambert returned to the AMAs two years later as a presenter , and was warmly received . Rejecting claims that the singer was banned from the show in 2009 , Executive Producer Larry Klein said that he 's anticipating future Lambert performances : " Adam Lambert is a friend of ours , he 's talented and I like everything about him . " Lambert 's performance was included in Billboard 's list of " Top Ten American Music Awards Moments " on the eve of its 40th anniversary , in November 2012
American Music Awards of 2009
American Music Awards of 2009
Adam Lambert