Britney, Backstreet Boys hold court at Billboard Awards

Teen femme phenom Britney Spears and multi-platinum boy band the Backstreet Boys led all winners at last night's "Billboard" Music Awards at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, as both Spears and the Boys both took home four awards each.

Spears was honored as "Billboard" magazine's Female Artist Of The Year, New Artist Of The Year, Female Albums Artist of The Year, and Female Hot 100 Singles Artist Of The Year. The Backstreet Boys received awards for Artist Of The Year, Albums Artist Of The Year, and Albums Artist Duo/Group Of The Year. The band's most recent record, "Millennium," was recognized as the Album Of The Year.

Other multiple award winners included Latino superstar Ricky Martin and country trio the Dixie Chicks, both of whom won three "Billboard" Music Awards. And on differing ends of the rock spectrum, both Metallica and Creed were honored with two "Billboard" awards each.

R&B diva Mariah Carey was selected as the "Billboard" Artist Of The Decade, an award that recognized the singer for her continued dominance of the pop charts in the '90s. Carey has scored 14 number one singles in her career, trailing only Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

Another notable winner was Jay-Z, who was named the Rap Artist Of The Year less than a week after being arrested for an attack on a record executive at a nightclub in New York City.

(MTV News)