The three-component formal [3 + 3] aza-annulation between chalcones, 尾-ketoamides, and ammonium acetate in the presence of CAN as a Lewis acid affords good to excellent yields of highly substituted nicotinamides or their fused derivatives. This transformation leads to the formation of one C鈥揅 and two C鈥揘 bonds in a single synthetic operation and involves up to five individual steps.