The
World Music Awards took place in London for the first time last night (Nov. 15).
The
evening, which paid special tribute to Michael Jackson, was billed as a come back
event for the world’s biggest pop star, but the evening turned out to be a case
of more hype than action. Hundreds
of fans waited for hours outside Earls Court arena in West London to get a glimpse
of the ‘King of Pop.’ Fans
were left disappointed after Jackson failed to greet them when he arrived at the
venue, resulting in angry jeers from the crowd. The
show was opened by Beyonce Knowles, who performed a mix of her hit singles "Ring
the Alarm" and "Deja Vu," which was arguably the best performance
of the night. During
the night, Beyonce also won the award for Best International Female, which was
presented to her by Fashion Icon and fragrance partner, Tommy Hilfiger. Other
winners included Kanye West, who was named World’s Best Hip-Hop Artist, besting
the likes of TI, Busta Rhymes and Chamillionaire, who was incorrectly announced
as "Shamillionaire." The
World’s Best Pop Artist was given to Madonna and the World’s Best Pop/Rock Artist
went to Nelly Furtado. Organizers
had announced that Michael Jackson would perform his hit single "Thriller,"
but Jackson claimed this was a "misunderstanding." Instead,
R&B singer Chris Brown performed the legendary 1983 hit single. Jackson
was recognized for selling over 100 million albums worldwide with a Diamond Award,
which was presented by Beyonce. "He’s
made such a big impact on my life and on every performer’s life," Beyonce
said. "Michael Jackson, we love you. Congratulations to the King". During
an emotional speech, Jackson thanked his friends, family and fans. "I’m
greatly humbled by this award. It was my dream that Thriller would become
the biggest selling album ever," Jackson said. "I thank God and you
for it’s success. There have been so many who have loved and stood by me for the
25 years I have been in the entertainment industry. I’d like to thank my children
particularly Paris, Prince and Blanket for their unconditional love." Finally,
a teenage choir appeared singing the 1985 mega hit, "We Are The World."
It was
supposed to be a step towards Jackson’s come back, but the performance fell flat.
Jackson
managed to sing only a few lines of the song and during the fleeting performance,
his voice appeared to crack and falter on the high notes. The
performance finished midway, when the musical accompaniment suddenly disappeared.
Organizers
of the annual World Music Awards have also been criticized for a chaotic and unorganized
evening. Below
is the 2006 World Music Awards winners: World’s
Best Pop Artist – Madonna World’s Best Pop/Rock Artist – Nelly Furtado World’s
Best Rock Group – Nickelback World’s Best R’n’B Artist – Beyoncé World’s
Best Rap/ Hip Hop Artist – Kanye West World’s Best Latin Artist – Shakira
World’s Best DJ – Bob Sinclair World’s Best New Artist – James Blunt Diamond
Award – Michael Jackson Best-Selling Arabic Artist – Elissa Best-Selling
British Artist – James Blunt Best-Selling German Artist – Tokio Hotel Best-Selling
Irish Artist – Enya Best-Selling Italian Artist – Andrea Bocelli Best-Selling
Russian Artist – Dima Bilan
