Madonna outpoints Britney at Music Awards

Madonna outpoints Britney at Music Awards
REUTERS

CANNES, FRANCE, JAN 21: Madonna twice outgunned Britney Spears on Saturday to land two top awards at Midem, the music industry's biggest record fair of the year.

Madonna, firmly on the pop comeback trail after the birth ofher son Rocco and her marriage to British film director Guy Ritchie, was picked as best international female artist and won the top album award for "Music", which has sold 10 million copies and topped the charts in 26 countries.

Madonna, at 42 still very much the Queen of Pop, was pickedfor the awards by listeners of the pop radio network NRJ which staged a glittering gala at the start of Midem, which this year has attracted 10,000 record executives from 96 countries.

Spears, 19, announced plans this week to record a duet withMadonna, who paid the teen sensation the ultimate compliment by wearing a T-shirt embroidered with Britney's name when she staged her comeback concert in New York last year.

Madonna, who has been helping to publicise her husband's newfilm "Snatch" in the United States, was not present at the Cannes ceremony. But it must have been particularly gratifying for her to fight off stiff competition from Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Shania Twain and Spears to be picked by pop fans as the female star of the year.

At the awards ceremony in the elegant French Riviera resortof Cannes, the other big double winner of the night was ebullient American singer Anastacia.

She picked up two awards for best international newcomer andbest song for her hit "I'M Outta Love" which she got the audience to sing along to in her impromptu acceptance speech.

SURPRISE AT WIN

Anastacia, who ranks Michael Jackson and Elton John amongthe most devoted fans of her music, confessed to being flabbergasted afterwards for winning Best Single. "Oh my goodness. I thought it was going to go to Madonna. I really love you guys," she told the audience who gave her a rousing reception.

The Corrs, made up of three Irish sisters and their brother,fought off stiff competition from All Saints, Bon Jovi, Destiny's Child and U2 to be picked as Best International Group.

Jim Corr told Reuters after receiving the award: "Any awardis a fantastic celebration for us. It's wonderful to be in competition with U2 as they are the best band for us."

Violinist Sharron Corr said: "We are also delighted as wehave just been nominated for two Grammy Awards in the States. That is a great thing for us as we have been trying to break into the States for seven years."

To complete the full set of international awards, the fanspicked American star Moby as the best male singer.

The soft-spoken New Yorker was thrilled by the recognition,confessing "I never expected to be successful in France. It just makes me happy I have made a record that people like."

Asked who he would pick as the perfect candidate for anaward if he had to choose one himself, he said: "I would give an award to Bill Clinton as he was a wonderful President."