However Taylor Swift was not there, but she's apparently incredibly popular. She beat out Michael Jackson to win Entertainer of the Year and took home a total of five American Music Awards.

The highlight of the night for me was Whitney Houston's performance of "I Didn't Know My Own Strength." While the rasp was present throughout the performance, the girl knows how to command a stage. She belted out the performance until she was almost out of breath. It was a powerful moment.



Michel Jackson ended up with four awards. Other multiple winners included hip-hop acts Jay-Z and the Black Eyed Peas, with two each.

The Black Eyed Peas were named favorite group in both the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories. Jay-Z won favorite male artist and favorite album in the rap/hip-hop categories.

Punk rock trio Green Day was named favorite alternative artist. Rascal Flatts won favorite country group for the fourth year in a row.

Check out the individual photo galleries for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Rihanna, Fergie, Shakira, Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Alex Meraz, Leona Lewis, Pete Wentz, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Bobby Trendy, Ne-Yo, Val Kilmer, Kristen Bell, Sofia Vergara, Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson.

What the performances of Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert after the jump.

Check out all of our American Music Awards coverage here!

Here is our gallery of photos from the 2009 American Music Awards show featuring Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Samuel L Jackson, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Black Eyed Peas, Melissa Etheridge, Jermanine Jackson, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Gloriana, Mary J Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Keith Urban, Demi Lovato, Kris Allen, Jermaine Jackson, Janet Jackson, Jay Z, Alex Rodriguez, Julie Bowden, Sofia Vergara, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Christian Slater and Green Day.

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Country singer, Carrie Underwood donned an iridescent toga-style dress and strappy, Grecian-style high-heel sandals for the 2009 American Music Awards. I feel like I've seen her in a similar-looking dress on a number of occasions, but hey, it's a good look for her.

Regardless of the fact that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, the temperate southern California weather is allowing the lovely ladies on the red carpet to strut their stuff in a wide array of mini-dresses for the awards show and Carrie here is no exception.

Check out all of our American Music Awards coverage HERE!

Gallery Info: Carrie Underwood on the red carpet for the 2009 American Music Awards at the Nokia Theater Los Angeles Live.

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For the past three years CNN has honored heroes, and this year Anderson Cooper hosted the event at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood Saturday night. Efren Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, was named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.

Peñaflorida, who will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 2.75 million votes were cast.

Among those celebrities attending the event were Anderson Cooper, Dwayne Johnson, Masi Oka, Eva Mendes, Nicole Kidman Kate Flannery, Jenna Fischer, Carrie Ann Inaba, Leona Lewis, Greg Kinnear, Debi Mezar, Rainn Wilson, Ricki Lake, Randy Jackson, Louis Gossett Jr, Neil Patrick Harris, Laila Ali, Terrance Howard, AnnaLynnne McCord, Cat Cora and Carrie Underwood.

The gala event will be broadcast on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9pm ET/PT on CNN.

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Janet Jackson will open the 37th annual AMA's this year, a year which might have been Michael's big comeback year.

Michael Jackson will receive five posthumous American Music Award nominations, so it only seems fitting that a Jackson should open up the ceremonies.  She's the obvious choice since, let's face it, Janet is the Jackson with the highest potential to hold it together and not weird-out in this highly prestigious setting.

AMA producer Larry Klein expressed he is, "thrilled about having Janet Jackson open this year's show," which is rumored to include, "an eight minute medley of songs," which will surely honor big brother, Michael as a tribute.   Career-wise the timing could not be better as Ms. Jackson is set to release a two-disc singles collections titled Number Ones as well as a new album, "slated to be released in 2010."

Now thin-again Janet has 9 AMA awards under her belt and has performed at the Awards on three other occasions.

To represent the full spectra of artist personalities, 21 AMA Award recipient Whitney Houston will also be performing, and will receive the "International Artist Award."  Shakira, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, Jay-Z, Carrie Underwood, and Green Day are also set to perform.

Gallery Info: Janet Jackson leaving Katsuya in Hollywood

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The better half of the country music's most high-profile power couple, Faith Hill showed off her toned shoulders in a strapless dress in a shade that looks pale lavender in some shots and heather gray in others.

Kellie Pickler was sporting a dramatic new look with porcelain skin, auburn locks and a shiny silver dress. The former American Idol contestant is looking curvaceous and fresh-faced.

Speaking of American Idol, another former contestant, Diana DeGarmo is also rocking a whole new style with jet-black long hair and a bright pink frock that highlights her deep tan and trim figure. She seems like a sweet girl, but something looks...off.

Scandal magnet, LeeAnn Rimes showed up in an pristine white gown, perhaps to give off the illusion of appearing angelic. While I'm loving her mani-pedi and peep-toe action, the eye makeup's not doing her any favors.

Gallery Info: Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Nancy O'Dell, Barbara Mandrel, Jessica Harp, Kellie Pickler, Robin Roberts, Patrica Heaton, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Jennifer Nettles, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Jennette McCurdy, Miranda Lambert and Diana DeGarmo on the red carpet for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

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It turned out to be a huge night for Taylor Swift at the 43rd Annual Country Music Awards. The singer took home the Entertainer of the Year award, and became the youngest person ever, at the age of 19, to win the coveted award.

She also won awards for Female Vocalist of the Year, Music Video of the Year for her song "Love Story" and Album of the Year with Fearless.

"I'll never forget this moment because at this moment everything that I ever wanted has just happened to me," a tearful Swift said when accepting her award.

The fan favorite also had some fun at the expense of rap star Kanye West, who last month interrupted her acceptance speech at the MTV Music Video Awards by rushing onto the stage and telling the audience that R&B star Beyonce -- and not Swift -- should have won best female video.

"I want to thank every single person here tonight for not running up on stage during this speech," Swift said when picking up her trophy for female vocalist.

Check out the other winners, and watch the video of Taylor Swift winning Entertainer of the Year, after the jump.

Gallery Info: Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Barbara Mandrell, Martina McBride, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd, Naomi Judd, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Kid Rock, LeAnn Rimes and Dave Matthews at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards at the Sommet Center on November 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Gracing the red carpet at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards at the Sommet Center on November 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee is Carrie Underwood.

Wearing a silvery sparkly number, Carrie Underwood is looking to take home a few awards during tonight's ceremony. Underwood, whose Play On debuts at #1 on the Billboard albums chart next week, knows that there are still a few glass ceilings that need to be broken.

"I definitely do see more women in country music and more women doing well," she told CMT. "I think it will be awhile before we get what's coming to us. But it does feel like women have to work a lot harder to keep up with the boys, and I see the tides changing. ... We're going to kick the boys out."

Good luck with that!

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In the liner notes for her new CD, Play On, Carrie Underwood telegraphs a not-so-secret love note to her hockey player boyfriend, Mike Fisher.

The singer writes, "Thank you #12. You are the most amazing addition to my life! You are such a wonderful person and have had such an amazing hand in the building of this album and in the growth of me as a person," the singer writes in reference to Fisher's jersey number. Underwood continues, "I love you so much! You make my life better in every way! I thank God for you every day... xoxo, Carrie."

Despite this obvious display of affection, the American Idol winner, plays it coy in a recent interview with Parade magazine. Of the love songs her new album, she explains, "I'm not so great with emotions. I consider myself more boyish in that way, so I'm pretty closed off. But you know when you're happy in your life, you can just kind of tell."

Let's just hope things don't turn out like a sad country song.

Gallery Info: Carrie Fisher performs live on Good Morning America on November 3, 2009.

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Alex Meraz shows off his talents at Havaianas and Details Magazine's party celebrating The Flipside.

Which celebrities were spotted out and about by the paparazzi today? Matthew McConaughey, Michael Jackson, AnnaLynne McCord, Diane Lane, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Ripa, Drew Barrymore, Pete Burns, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden, Ben Stiller and Rachel Bilson.

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Apparently, when Carrie Underwood accepted her Entertainer of the Year award from Matthew McConaughey at the Academy of Country Music Awards this weekend, she made a little quip that was a little too racy for country music audiences, mostly his girlfriend Camila Alves.

Prior to Carrie taking to the stage, Matthew joked with the crowd that he and his brothers used to try and "pick up" women by telling them that their sole income came from custom-making George Strait's cowboy boots. McConaughey bragged that this ploy worked at least once.

A teary-eyed Carrie then took to the stage to accept her prize and said, "I don't know what to say. I got nothin'...I want to see those boots, Matthew." And now, she's apologizing for being glib.

Backstage, Underwood was contrite. "You want to say something eloquent in a moment like that and I embarrassed myself. I'm sorry Matthew, I'm sorry to my family. I'm totally embarrassed," she told press.

Seriously? BFD, y'all. Camila knew what she was getting into when she agreed to ride on the back of his surfboard.

Gallery Info: Matthew McConaughey and Carrie Underwood; Underwood arriving at LAX.

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