AMAs: Big Wins for Justin Bieber, Usher

At Sunday night's American Music Awards, the mop-topped Usher protégé Justin Bieber took home four trophies, besting his competitors in the Favorite Artist of the Year, Favorite Breakthrough Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album categories.

Photos: The Best Moments From the American Music Awards

While accepting his Artist of the Year award — a category in which he beat out Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Katy Perry and Eminem — Bieber paid particular tribute to Usher, calling the "DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again" singer "my big brother." In addition to the Bieber shout-out, Usher took home two trophies, winning Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

Keep up with rock's hottest photos in Random Notes

Eminem scored victories in both hip-hop categories (Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Album), while Lady Gaga won the Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist trophy and the Black Eyed Peas scored the Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group award.

The complete list of winners:

Favorite Soundtrack Album: Glee: The Music, Volume 3
Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist: MercyMe
Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist: Eminem
Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album: Eminem, Recovery
Favorite Latin Music Artist: Shakira
Favorite Country Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Favorite Country Male Artist: Brad Paisley
Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group: Lady Antebellum
Favorite Country Album: Carrie Underwood, Play On
Favorite Alternative Rock Music Artist: Muse
Favorite Adult Contemporary Music Artist: Michael Buble
Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist: Rihanna
Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist: Usher
Favorite Soul/R&B Album: Usher, Raymond v. Raymond
Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist: Lady Gaga
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist: Justin Bieber
Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group: Black Eyed Peas
Favorite Pop/Rock Album: Justin Bieber, My World 2.0
Favorite Breakthrough Artist: Justin Bieber
Favorite Artist of the Year: Justin Bieber

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Great Gatsby' Is a Crushing Disappointment
• 
  TV Why You Should Watch 'Happy Endings'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter