Print-friendly Version
Will Smith Tops American Music Awards As Grammies Vie For Exclusive Performances
Will Smith and his album Big Willie Style received three American Music Awards on Monday night (1/11). Smith was followed closely by Garth Brooks and Celine Dion, who each won a pair of awards during the televised ceremony. Shania Twain led the nominees for the presentation with five nods in the country and adult contemporary categories, but won only one award. Of her five nominations, three were against fellow Canadian Celine Dion, who won in two of the three categories. Twain was bumped by Will Smith and Garth Brooks in two more categories.
The Dick Clark-produced awards show featured performances by Brooks with Trisha Yearwood, Third Eye Blind, the Backstreet Boys, the Dixie Chicks, K-Ci & Jo Jo and Next, a reunited Blondie with Coolio and Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach.
Due to an ongoing feud between the AMAs and the Grammies, none of those artists will be eligible to perform on the Grammy telecast on February 24th. Grammy chief Michael Greene claims that it would hurt the show's ratings to replicate performance bookings from the AMA broadcast. AMA producer Dick Clark calls the practice ''childish, petty and small-minded,'' saying that it hurts artists, particularly those who are led to believe they have a Grammy booking and pass on an AMA invite only to end up with nothing.
The American Music Awards were launched by Clark twenty-six years ago as an alternative to the Grammies, selecting the winners by polling consumers as opposed to the industry-only balloting involved in the Grammy selection process. Some 20,000 people are polled to determine AMA winners.
Here's the full list of winners:
Favorite New Pop / Rock Artist: 'N Sync
Favorite Pop / Rock Album: Big Willie Style, Will Smith
Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo or Group Aerosmith
Favorite Pop / Rock Male Artist: Eric Clapton
Favorite Pop / Rock Female Artist: Celine Dion
Favorite New Soul / R&B Artist: Lauryn Hill
Favorite Soul / R&B Album: Big Willie Style, Will Smith
Favorite Soul / R&B Band, Duo or Group: K-Ci & Jo Jo
Favorite Soul / R&B Male Artist: Will Smith
Favorite Soul / R&B Female Artist: Janet Jackson
Favorite New Country Artist: Dixie Chicks
Favorite Country Album: Sevens, Garth Brooks
Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group: Alabama
Favorite Country Male Artist: Garth Brooks
Favorite Country Female Artist: Shania Twain
Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist: Celine Dion
Favorite Latin Artist: Enrique Iglesias
Favorite Rap Artist: Master P
Favorite Alternative Artist: Pearl Jam
Favorite Soundtrack: Titanic
