Usher Is King Of The Amas

R+B and country ruled last night's (14NOV04) American Music Awards (AMAs) as Usher carried on his award winning Yeah?r by picking up four accolades.

The YEAH! hear-throb was named Favourite Male Soul-R+B Artist and Best Pop-rock Artist, and won two further gongs for his album CONFESSIONS.

Hip-hop duo Outkast picked up three silver awards for top Pop-Rock band, Rap-hip-hop Group and Rap-hip-hop Album for their best-selling disc SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW.

Rapper Big Boi paid tribute to late hip-hop star OL' DIRTY BASTARD, who collapsed and died in his New York studio on Saturday (13NOV04), saying, "Rest in peace Ol' Dirty Bastard. We love you."

Country music beat pop stars during the night, with a shocked KENNY CHESNEY triumphing over Usher to win the publicly voted T-Mobile Text In Award.

The big upset of the night was rapper Kanye West losing to Gretchen Wilson in the Breakthrough New Artist award, with the THROUGH THE WIRE hitmaker later complaining, "I feel I was definitely robbed. I was the best new artist this year. I don't know if I'll be back at this award show next year."

Performers at the star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium included Gwen Stefani, Lenny Kravitz and Award Of Merit winners Bon Jovi.

Nominees were selected by high record sales, with 20,000 listeners voting for the winners.

The winners are:

Male pop-rock artist: USHER

Female pop-rock artist: Sheryl Crow

Pop-rock band: OUTKAST

Pop-rock album: CONFESSIONS by USHER

Male soul-R+B artist: USHER

Female soul-R+B artist: Alicia Keys

Soul-R+B album: CONFESSIONS by USHER

Alternative music artist: Linkin Park

Male rap-hip-hop artist: Jay-Z

Rap-hip-hop album: SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW by OUTKAST

Rap-hip-hop group: OUTKAST

Country band: BROOKS + DUNN

Country male artist: Toby Keith

Country artist: Reba McEntire

Country album: SHOCK'N Y'ALL by TOBY KEITH

Latin artist: Marc Anthony

Contemporary inspirational artist: MercyMe

Adult contemporary artist: SHERYL CROW

T-Mobile Text In award: Kenny Chesney

Breakthrough new artist: GRETCHEN WILSON

Award of merit: BON JOVI.