NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2006 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, AIRING LIVE NOVEMBER 21 ON ABC

Mariah Carey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Eyed Peas and Nickelback Lead with Three Nominations Each

Winners to Be Announced During Live Telecast November 21 on ABC

Nominees for the 2006 American Music Awards were announced September 19 at a press conference in Beverly Hills. Actress Carmen Electra and platinum recording artist and actor Tyrese made the announcement revealing the nominees in each of eight categories of music. Twenty awards will be given out representing the best of Pop/Rock, Country, Soul/Rhythm & Blues, Rap/Hip Hop, Latin, Alternative, Adult Contemporary and Contemporary Inspirational music. Winners will be announced from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, during the live, star-studded show, featuring celebrity presenters, live performances and other surprises, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Mariah Carey, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Eyed Peas and Nickelback lead the nominations with three nods each. Carey, a nine-time American Music Award winner, was nominated for Favorite Female Artist in both the Pop/Rock and Soul/Rhythm & Blues categories, as well as Favorite Album in the Soul/Rhythm & Blues category for The Emancipation of Mimi. The Red Hot Chili Peppers received Pop/Rock nominations for Favorite Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Album for Stadium Arcadium, along with a nod for Favorite Artist in the Alternative Music Category. Hip/Hop Funk sensation The Black Eyed Peas are up for Favorite Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Album for Monkey Business in the Rap/Hip Hop category, along with a nomination in the Soul/Rhythm & Blues category for Favorite Band, Duo or Group. Nickelback's hit album All the Right Reasons helped earn them three American Music Award nominations. The group is up for Favorite Album and Favorite Band, Duo or Group in the Pop/Rock category and will compete against the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam for Favorite Artist in the Alternative Music category.

Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem, Jamie Foxx, Pussycat Dolls, Rascal Flatts, T.I., Carrie Underwood and Kanye West each received two nominations. 2006 break-out artists Chamillionaire, Pussycat Dolls and Carrie Underwood are nominated for Favorite New Breakthrough Artist, which encompasses all genres of music.

Presenters scheduled to appear include Nicole Richie, Tori Spelling, Ashlee Simpson, Paris Hilton, Gavin Rossdale, Nickelback, Katharine McPhee, Tommy Lee, Mario Lopez (Dancing with the Stars), Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty), Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, William Shatner (Boston Legal, Show Me the Money), Carmen Electra, Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl, Taylor Hicks, Clay Aiken, Grey's Anatomy stars Isaiah Washington and Justin Chambers, Taye Diggs (Day Break), Ryan Seacrest, Tony Hawk, Linkin Park, Chris Brown, Ice Cube, Chingy, Sean Paul, Tyrese, Frankie J, Brian McKnight, Hannah Montana's Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, Chamillionaire, JC Chasez, JoJo, Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic, Jesse McCartney, Cheetah Girls, Wendie Malick (Big Day), Kirk Franklin and cast members from High School Musical.

The 2006 American Music Awards is hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and will emanate from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA. The special is produced by dick clark productions, inc. Performers announced for the special thus far are Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Dixie Chicks, Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, Mary J. Blige, Nelly Furtado, Pussycat Dolls, Rascal Flatts, Snow Patrol and Tenacious D.

The complete list of nominees, many of whom will attend the ceremonies either as presenters or performers, follows:

POP/ROCK

Favorite Male Artist:
Nick Lachey
Sean Paul * WINNER *
Kanye West

Favorite Female Artist:
Mariah Carey
Kelly Clarkson * WINNER *
Nelly Furtado

Favorite Band, Duo or Group:
Nickelback
Pussycat Dolls
Red Hot Chili Peppers * WINNER *

Favorite Album:
All the Right Reasons - Nickelback * WINNER *
Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers
High School Musical - Various Artists

COUNTRY

Favorite Male Artist:
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith * WINNER *
Keith Urban

Favorite Female Artist:
Faith Hill * WINNER *
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson

Favorite Band, Duo or Group:
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Rascal Flatts * WINNER *

Favorite Album:
Legend of Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash
Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Tim McGraw * WINNER *
Me and My Gang - Rascal Flatts

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES

Favorite Male Artist:
Chris Brown
Jamie Foxx * WINNER *
NE-YO

Favorite Female Artist:
Mary J. Blige * WINNER *
Mariah Carey
Keyshia Cole

Favorite Band, Duo or Group:
The Black Eyed Peas * WINNER *
The Isley Brothers
Jagged Edge

Favorite Album:
The Breakthrough - Mary J. Blige * WINNER *
The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey
Unpredictable - Jamie Foxx

RAP/HIP-HOP

Favorite Male Artist:
Eminem * WINNER *
T.I.
Kanye West

Favorite Band, Duo or Group:
The Black Eyed Peas * WINNER *
Dem Franchize Boyz
Three 6 Mafia

Favorite Album:
Monkey Business - The Black Eyed Peas * WINNER *
Curtain Call - Eminem
King - T.I.

ADULT CONTEMPORARY

Favorite Artist:
Michael Bublé
Kelly Clarkson * WINNER *
Rob Thomas

ALTERNATIVE MUSIC

Favorite Artist:
Nickelback
Pearl Jam
Red Hot Chili Peppers * WINNER *

LATIN MUSIC

Favorite Artist:
Daddy Yankee
Don Omar
Shakira * WINNER *

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

Favorite Artist:
Aly & AJ
Casting Crowns
Kirk Franklin * WINNER *

Favorite NEW BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST (ALL GENRES)

Chamillionaire
Pussycat Dolls
Carrie Underwood * WINNER *

Winners of the American Music Awards are selected by the public. A national sampling of approximately 20,000, taking into account geographic location, age, sex and ethnic origin, will be sent ballots by the National Family Opinion, Inc. firm under the supervision of Broadcast Research and Consulting, Inc. Names of the nominees on the ballot were compiled from data supplied by the music industry trade publication, Radio & Records and Nielsen Soundscan, which tracks retail music sales. Results of the voting, tabulated by the Ernst & Young LLP accounting firm, are not announced until the envelopes ared during the presentation ceremonies.

The 2006 American Music Awards is a presentation of dick clark productions, inc. The executive producer is Allen Shapiro. Producer of the television special is Larry Klein, with Louis J. Horvitz directing. Writers will be Barry Adelman and Fred Bronson. Executive in charge of production is Bob Bardo. The associate producer is Don Harary. John Shaffner and Joe Stewart are the production designers. The talent executive is Carla Patterson. The executive in charge is Fran La Maina.