An iron-TEMPO-catalyzed (TEMPO = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy), aerobic process was developed to synthesize α-ketoamides. This reaction proceeds through a dominoalcoholoxidation/oxidativecross-dehydrogenativecoupling sequence, uses 2-hydroxyacetophenones and amines as the starting materials, and takes place under molecular oxygen, which makes the transformation highly efficient, practical