Catalyzed by Ru and in the presence of air and nucleophiles such as amines or ammonia, activation of the C–CN bond could be easily achieved under mild conditions to produce primary to tertiary amides in good to excellent yields. The use of accessible and functional-group-tolerant starting materials, a cheap, low-loading and recyclable catalyst, ligand-free conditions and excellent product yields are the advantages of the method. Moreover, compared with the Ritter reaction and hydration methods, this novel reaction has more comprehensive application scope.