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Faith
Hill Big Winner At 28th Annual American Music Awards
Written
By Rick Ellis, January 7th, 2001
So it begins.
It's the kickoff
of the awards show season, and that means lots of awards shows.
Sure, you've got the Academy Awards, but you also have awards given
based on the opinions of the foreign press, TV viewers, comedy fans,
readers of a couple of different music magazines, country music
listeners and too many more to mention.
The American
Music Awards have always been a little bit light in the hipness
factor. Produced by Dick Clark, the AMA's are chosen by a nationwide
poll of 20,000 record buyers, making it the annual popularity-contest
precursor to the Grammys. Which means you're just as likely to see
awards going to the flavor of the month as to some legitimately
talented performer.
The real reason
to watch has always been the live performances, which tend to be
a bit more mainstream and a lot less pretentious than the ones you'll
see on MTV's award show. And this time around was no different.
None of the performances was especially terrible, and there were
a couple of can't miss moments.
First, the good.
After a night of adolescent posturing by the seemingly endless number
of teen bands and singers, teen singer Jessica Simpson stepped up
and belted a jaw-dropping version of "I Wanna Love You Forever."
Looking much older than her years, she spotlighted a strong, nimble
voice that hasn't always been apparent on her CD's.
Other highlights
included Toni Braxton's exotic staging of "Spanish Guitar,"
and let's not forget Aerosmith. They received a special International
Artist Award before performing their new single, "Jaded," in a segment
that featured a number of what looked to circus performers and experts
in the art of stretching.
But my personal
favorite was probably the country act SheDAISY, who took the opportunity
to spotlight themselves by reworking their song "I Will"
into a mainstream driving poptune that would fit perfectly into
any Coors album.
Then there were
the normal number of solid, but expected performances. Britney Spears'
"Stronger" showed off her limber form, but wrapped it
inside a busy stage production that seemed less like a performance
than a tribute to Janet Jackson. Teen country singer Billy Gilman
sang his hit, and while I don't care for the tune (and on a side
not think he has the worst teeth this side of Prince Charles), it
was amusing to see him receive a standing ovation from the audience,
led by a bunch of rappers who would seem to be an unlikely audience
for his music.
And then there
was the bad. Jennifer Lopez trotted . out a version of "Love
Don't Cost A Thing," which spotlighted mimes and her figure
while massaging the weakness of her voice. Hip-hop goofballs OutKast
perplexed the crowd with "Ms. Jackson," a performance featuring
wedding gowns, a gray wig and a guy in a backpack.
But the worst
aspect of the show had to be the hosts. This is an awards show that
desperately cries out for some levity and some deflating of musical
egos. This time around, the co-hosts were LL Cool J and Britney
Spears, who both seemed to have the delivery and spontaneity of
your average convenience store clerk.
The highlight
(and lowlight) of their interaction was the opening segment in which
LL Cool J leered at his cohost, and complained, "Britney,
I was promised you would wear something nasty. This is not nasty."
Spears promptly stripped down from a pink dress to a barely-there
two-piece, kicking off the first of her eight costume changes.
In the end,
this year's American Music Awards were what I expected them to be.
Too long, too staid, and an overall good evening for Faith Hill,
who won three awards.
Geez, all I
got was an aching butt.
Here's a complete
rundown of the night's winners:
POP/ROCK
Male Artist: Kid Rock
Female Artist: Faith Hill
Band, Duo or Group: Backstreet Boys
Album: Human Clay, Creed
New Artist: 3 Doors Down
SOUL/RHYTHM
& BLUES
Male Artist: Brian McKnight
Female Artist: Toni Braxton
Band, Duo or Group: Destiny's Child
Album: Heat, Toni Braxton
New Artist: Donnell Jones
COUNTRY
Male Artist: Tim McGraw
Female Artist: Faith Hill
Band, Duo or Group: Dixie Chicks
Album: Breathe, Faith Hill
New Artist: Billy Gilman
ADULT
CONTEMPORARY
Artist: Celine Dion
LATIN
MUSIC
Artist: Enrique Iglesias
RAP/HIP
HOP
Artist: Dr. Dre
ALTERNATIVE
MUSIC
Artist: Creed
SOUNDTRACK
Favorite Soundtrack: Mission Impossible 2
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