Nominees for the American Music Awards - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby A. Gil

It is 34 days till Christmas and 41 days till the first day of 2001. We look forward with great expectancy to Christmas that we forget that only a week later will be New Year’s Day. And just as the robin is said to be the harbinger of spring, one sure sign that we are indeed approaching the end of another year is news about award nominations. Time now to take stock of all that happened in this millennium year and pay tribute to all notable accomplishments.

First one out is the list of nominations to the American Music Awards. Like the Grammys and unlike film awards, the AMA has a September cut-off. This means that those eligible are those artists and albums that came out from Oct. 1, 1999 up to Sept. 30, 2000. This is also why there is no need to wait until the end of the year to pick out the nominees.

The American Music Awards is actually a popularity contest wherein fans can cast their votes for their favorites and that is how the categories are referred to like Favorite Male Artist instead of Best Male Artist. However, despite this, the AMA has gained a lot of prestige over these past years and is now considered as a sort of advance look at what will happen at the Grammys. Of course, not all of the winners here will also bring home a Grammy. Favorites are not necessarily also the best, although in some cases they turn out to be the same. Here are the nominees:

Pop or Rock Music
Favorite Male Artist: Marc Anthony; Eminem; Kid Rock.
Favorite Female Artist: Christina Aguilera; Celine Dion; Faith Hill; Britney Spears
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Backstreet Boys; Creed; ‘N Sync
Favorite New Artist: Macy Gray; Jessica Simpson; 3 Doors Down
Favorite Album: Human Clay by Creed; No Strings Attached by ‘N Sync; Oops! I Did It Again by Britney Spears

Soul/ Rhythm & Blues Music
Favorite Male Artist: D’Angelo; Brian McKnight; Sisqo
Favorite Female Artist: Toni Braxton; Whitney Houston; Kelly Price
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Destiny’s Child; Jagged Edge; Lucy Pearl.
Favorite New Artist: Donell Jones; Mary Mary; Pink.
Favorite Album: Heat by Toni Braxton; The Writing’s on the Wall by Destiny’s Child; Unleash the Dragon by Sisqo.

Country Music
Favorite Male Artist: Alan Jackson; Tim McGraw; George Strait.
Favorite Female Artist: Faith Hill; Martina McBride; Reba McEntire.
Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Brooks & Dunn; Dixie Chicks; Lonestar.
Favorite New Artist: Alecia Elliot; Billy Gillman; Keith Urban.
Favorite Album: Breathe by Faith Hill; Under the Influence by Alan Jackson; How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith.

Rap/ Hip Hop Music
Favorite Artist: DMX; Dre Dre; Eminem

Alternative Music
Favorite Artist: Creed; Limp Bizkit; Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Adult Contemporary
Favorite Artist: Marc Anthony; Celine Dion; Faith Hill

Latin Music
Favorite Artist: Marc Anthony; Enrique Iglesias; Shakira.

Favorite Soundtrack: Coyote Ugly; Mission: Impossible-2; Nutty Professor II (The Klumps).

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Still on awards: Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry and well-known tenor Placido Domingo are the music artists who will receive the Kennedy Center Honors for the Year 2000. They will be feted during ceremonies that will be held on Dec. 3 together with the other recipients, actor and director Clint Eastwood, stage, movie and TV actress Angela Lansbury and the great Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Berry is famous for seminal rock classics like Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene, My Ding-a-Ling and many others. Mexican opera star Domingo acquired a huge pop following with his performances with the two other great tenors of our time, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras. He is at present director of the Washington Opera.

Other pop stars who received the Kennedy Center Honors in the past were Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Lena Horne, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Roy Acuff, Lionel Hampton, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan. The Kennedy Center Honors were established in 1978 to celebrate lifetime achievements in the arts.

Meanwhile, here are the hit tunes of the moment in the US of A according to Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 chart: Independent Woman Part 1’ by Destiny’s Child; With Arms Wide Open by Creed; Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down; Music by Madonna; Most Girls by Pink; Gotta Tell You by Samantha Mumba; This I Promise You by ‘N Sync; Come On Over Baby (All I Want is You) by Christina Aguilera; Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do) by Mya; and The Way You Love Me by Faith Hill.