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The American Music Awards Tonight

Update:   AMA arrival photos are already posted at Wireimage.  Ãƒâ€š  Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks  (bottom of the page), and here.   thanks foxydonna

The American Music Awards are tonight at 8/7c on ABC. Idols figure prominently in every aspect of the broadcast.   Presenting tonight are:  Taylor Hicks (presenting an R&B award, according to  Gray Charles), Katharine McPhee and Clay Aiken.   Kelly Clarkson is  nominated  for Favorite Female Artist – Pop Rock and Favorite Artist – Adult Contemporary.   Carrie Underwood is nominated for Favorite Female Artist – Country and Favorite New Breakthrough Artist.   Carrie will also perform a medley of her hit singles,”Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Forget to Remember Me,” and “Before He Cheats.”

I was researching the AMA’s and came across this  Wikipedia entry.   Here are some fun facts to know and tell:

• The AMA’s were created in 1973 by Dick Clark to compete with the Grammys
• Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond co-hosted the first AMA telecast with Rodney Allen Rippy and Ricky Segall.
• While the Grammys are awarded based on votes by members of the entertainment industry, the AMAs are determined by a poll of music buyers.  
• Specifically, “A national sampling of approximately 20,000, taking into account geographic location, age, sex and ethnic origin,  [are] sent ballots by the National Family Opinion, Inc. firm under the supervision of Broadcast Research and Consulting, Inc. Names of the nominees on the ballot  [are] compiled from data supplied by the music industry trade publication, Radio & Records and Nielsen Soundscan.”
• Glen Campbell has co-hosted the AMAs more times than any other host or co-host.
• The most American Music Awards for a group belongs to Alabama who have collected twenty-two awards.
• The record for a solo artist belongs to Whitney Houston who has amassed twenty-three awards.
• The record for the most American Music Awards won in a single year is held by both Michael Jackson (for 1983′s Thriller), and Whitney Houston (for 1993′s The Bodyguard Soundtrack), each won 8 awards.