American Idol Proves its Worth at the American Music Awards

Authored by Scott Goldberg on November 19, 2007 - 2:11am.

Two former contestants of the Fox series American Idol came away with plenty of loot at last night’s American Music Awards, as Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood each captured three trophies. The AMA’s, much like the reality series, allowed fans to vote online this year, a departure from the traditional platform in which winners were selected from an opinion poll of 20,000 music buyers, Reuters reports.

But don’t confuse the AMA’s for a new American Idol. It’s one of the lowest rated awards shows among all entertainment platforms, and the show’s producers said 1.2 million fans voted on a website maintained by ABC, compared to 74 million fans in last May’s finale of American Idol.

Daughtry, who was a finalist in the fifth season of American Idol in 2006, won awards for: Favorite Breakthrough Artist, Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock album. Underwood won awards for: Favorite Country Female Artist, Favorite Country Album, and a Text-In award.

Regardless of the importance of the AMA’s or its place in pop culture, the result for American Idol alums underscores a well-established fact: The show resonates with fans, and is arguably the largest tastemaker in the business.