Soul Train keeps Mariah's comeback rolling
Mariah Carey kept her comeback going Saturday, picking up best album and best single honors at the 20th Annual Soul Train Music Awards. John Legend also earned two awards, beating out R. Kelly for best male album with "Get Lifted" and best male single, "Ordinary People".
Carey, who won three Grammys last month, nabbed awards for best female album with "The Emancipation of Mimi" and best female single with "We Belong Together". "This has been the biggest and most successful year of my life," said Carey, who returned last year after dominating the pop charts for much of the 1990s.
A year ago, Carey's career looked to be fading following a handful of debacles that included a contract buyout by Virgin Records. "You know that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger," she said.
R. Kelly went into the show with a leading three nominations, but left empty-handed as Kanye West claimed the award for best R&B-soul or rap music video for "Gold Digger", featuring Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx. John Legend won best male single for "Ordinary People", beating out R. Kelly, who was nominated for "Trapped in the Closet (Chapter 1 of 5)".
Chris Brown, meanwhile, claimed the award for best new rap artist for his album "Run It". "Just last year I was just at home trying to balance my school work and basketball practice," said 16-year-old Brown, a high school junior.
Foxx, who clinched best musical artist last week at the NAACP Image Awards, was honored Saturday with the Quincy Jones Lifetime Achievement Award. Foxx, who recently released his album "Unpredictable", said Jones had given him advice to view a musical career as a marathon, not a sprint. "'You've got another 50 years to go'," Foxx said Jones told him.
The Quincy Jones Outstanding Career Achievement for women went to Destiny's Child, who also won best-group single for "Cater 2 U". The awards show also recognized one of the genre's legends, naming an award in Stevie Wonder's honor.
Before the show, Wonder received a bronze statue of himself before he was set to present the first annual Stevie Wonder Lifetime Achievement Award to Kelly. "I saw the sculpture and it looks really great," joked Wonder, who is blind.
Wonder said he hoped award winners would "wear me well". Kelly, who said he had grown up listening to Wonder's music, accepted the award imitating Wonder's voice and waving his head back and forth, drawing laughs from the audience.
An honorary award also went to Legend, who garnered the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year. "I'm truly humbled that you chose me for this," said Legend.
The Soul Train Music Awards, started by the syndicated music show "Soul Train", celebrate artists in R&B, hip-hop and gospel music. The 2006 honors, hosted by Vivica A. Fox and Tyrese Gibson, will air in syndication beginning March 11. The awards are determined by a group of radio station professionals, talent managers and performers. (ABC News)
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