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American Music Awards Tonight

Aired January 13, 2003 - 14:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From country to rock, from pop to hip-hop, it's going to be a hit parade at the 30th annual American Music Awards tonight. Top nominees include Ashanti, Eminem, and Nelly. Who will walk away with a winner?
Well, let's talk to CNN's Kendis Gibson. He is live outside the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. with much more. Hi, Kendis.

KENDIS GIBSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. I have got to tell you, a lot of activity happening right now at the Shrine Auditorium, getting ready for the big awards show. Now, you know what, you look at this red carpet that they've laid down here and see all that tape and all that stuff and you go, well, that's not -- that's kind of tacky. What's up with that?

They don't leave anything to chance when it comes to these award shows. That's actually rehearsal carpet just to make sure that it will work all right for the big event later on today.

A lot of celebrities expected. As you mentioned, Ashanti is one of the big nominees. Talked with Dick Clark who is in charge of all of this, and he told us what else to expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DICK CLARK, AMA PRODUCER: In a moment or two, we are going to do a little rehearsal, and I have got the Osbournes as the host. If you don't think I've got problems -- oh, the pains, the pains. And then, additionally, we have got 14 acts that go on back to back to back. It is a three-hour people watching extravaganza.

GIBSON: And you know a lot of people are going to be talking about the censors having their fingers on the button for the Osbournes. But I have got to ask you, though, are you going to have a translation at the bottom as to what Ozzy is saying?

CLARK: There is no script, so we don't know what he is going to say ahead of time. There is no way to put it up there. We got Ozzy Osbourne then we have Ja Rule and Bobby Brown, that is an interesting censorship challenge. We have got Christina Aguilera with or without her clothing. I'm not sure of that yet until I see it in a moment. In the audience, we got Justin Timberlake sitting six seats away from Britney Spears, so it is going to be an interesting night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIBSON: I'm told this tie I'm wearing is actually more clothing than Christina is going to be wearing, but I don't know.

Matchbox 20, by the way, one of the 14 acts that are going to be performing. Yesterday they went through their dress rehearsal, their sound check on stage. They are performing a song, "Disease" that was actually co-written by Mick Jagger and written for the group, for the Rolling Stones, and Jagger said, You know what, it might sound better for Matchbox 20. One of the 14 performers later on tonight.

But this is going to be a big night as many award shows have been over the last year, probably, for Eminem. He is up for four awards. As you know, he sold more CDs in 2002 than any other artist, some 7 million CDs for his "Eminem Show," and he is one of the few bright spots for the music industry in the last year, so no doubt you can understand why he is being highlighted here at the American Music Awards tonight.

Also, Ashanti, one of the bright spots from last year, the only woman to have a No. 1 and No. 2 single on the billboard charts at the same time. She is going to be here as well tonight. She sold 500,000 copies of her debut CD, unprecedented for somebody nobody's ever heard of before in its first week. So she is going to be here as well. A lot of excitement, a lot of big stars. J. Lo, though, going to be here as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, it will be interesting to see what she is wearing -- Kendis Gibson, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 13, 2003 - 14:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From country to rock, from pop to hip-hop, it's going to be a hit parade at the 30th annual American Music Awards tonight. Top nominees include Ashanti, Eminem, and Nelly. Who will walk away with a winner?
Well, let's talk to CNN's Kendis Gibson. He is live outside the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. with much more. Hi, Kendis.

KENDIS GIBSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. I have got to tell you, a lot of activity happening right now at the Shrine Auditorium, getting ready for the big awards show. Now, you know what, you look at this red carpet that they've laid down here and see all that tape and all that stuff and you go, well, that's not -- that's kind of tacky. What's up with that?

They don't leave anything to chance when it comes to these award shows. That's actually rehearsal carpet just to make sure that it will work all right for the big event later on today.

A lot of celebrities expected. As you mentioned, Ashanti is one of the big nominees. Talked with Dick Clark who is in charge of all of this, and he told us what else to expect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DICK CLARK, AMA PRODUCER: In a moment or two, we are going to do a little rehearsal, and I have got the Osbournes as the host. If you don't think I've got problems -- oh, the pains, the pains. And then, additionally, we have got 14 acts that go on back to back to back. It is a three-hour people watching extravaganza.

GIBSON: And you know a lot of people are going to be talking about the censors having their fingers on the button for the Osbournes. But I have got to ask you, though, are you going to have a translation at the bottom as to what Ozzy is saying?

CLARK: There is no script, so we don't know what he is going to say ahead of time. There is no way to put it up there. We got Ozzy Osbourne then we have Ja Rule and Bobby Brown, that is an interesting censorship challenge. We have got Christina Aguilera with or without her clothing. I'm not sure of that yet until I see it in a moment. In the audience, we got Justin Timberlake sitting six seats away from Britney Spears, so it is going to be an interesting night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIBSON: I'm told this tie I'm wearing is actually more clothing than Christina is going to be wearing, but I don't know.

Matchbox 20, by the way, one of the 14 acts that are going to be performing. Yesterday they went through their dress rehearsal, their sound check on stage. They are performing a song, "Disease" that was actually co-written by Mick Jagger and written for the group, for the Rolling Stones, and Jagger said, You know what, it might sound better for Matchbox 20. One of the 14 performers later on tonight.

But this is going to be a big night as many award shows have been over the last year, probably, for Eminem. He is up for four awards. As you know, he sold more CDs in 2002 than any other artist, some 7 million CDs for his "Eminem Show," and he is one of the few bright spots for the music industry in the last year, so no doubt you can understand why he is being highlighted here at the American Music Awards tonight.

Also, Ashanti, one of the bright spots from last year, the only woman to have a No. 1 and No. 2 single on the billboard charts at the same time. She is going to be here as well tonight. She sold 500,000 copies of her debut CD, unprecedented for somebody nobody's ever heard of before in its first week. So she is going to be here as well. A lot of excitement, a lot of big stars. J. Lo, though, going to be here as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, it will be interesting to see what she is wearing -- Kendis Gibson, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com