WINNERS OF �THE 2006 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS� ANNOUNCED

The following musical artists were honored tonight on THE 2006 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS, which aired live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on FOX:

Mary J. Blige (9 awards total)
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Hot 100 Airplay Song of the Year, �Be Without You�
R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Artist of the Year
R&B Album Artist of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year, "The Breakthrough"
R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year, "Be Without You"
R&B/Hip-Hop Song Airplay of the Year, �Be Without You�
Videoclip of the Year, �Be Without You�

Chris Brown (3 awards total)
Artist of the Year
Male Artist of the Year
New Artist of the Year

T.I. (5 awards total)
Rap Artist of the Year
Rap Album of the Year, "King"
Rap Album Artist of the Year
Rap Songs Artist of the Year
Videoclips Artist of the Year

Carrie Underwood (5 awards total)
Album of the Year, �Some Hearts,�
Country Album of the Year, "Some Hearts,"
Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year
Female Country Artist of the Year
New Country Artist of the Year

The Fray (3 awards total)
Digital Album of the Year, �How to Save a Life�
Digital Album Artist of the Year
Digital Songs Artist of the Year

Kenny Chesney (2 awards total)
Male Country Artist of the Year
Country Songs Artist of the Year

Three Days Grace (1 award total)
Rock Single of the Year, �Animal I Have Become�

�High School Musical� (1 award total)
Soundtrack Album of the Year, �High School Musical�

Rihanna (3 awards total)
Female Artist of the Year
Female Hot 100 Artist of the Year
Pop 100 Artist of the Year

Nickelback (3 awards total)
Rock Album of the Year, �All the Right Reasons�
Artist-Duo/Group of the Year
Hot 100 Artists-Duo/Group of the Year

Nelly Furtado (1 award total)
Pop Single of the Year, "Promiscuous" (featuring Timbaland)

Based on sales data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and radio information monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, Billboard's music charts are the world's most authoritative. Winners are determined by the 2006 year-end charts, which reflect the weekly charts that Billboard published from December 2005 through November 2006.

Winners for the BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS are based on the more than 250 annual chart recaps in Billboard�s Year In Music issue, dated Dec. 23.

"More than any other music awards show, the Billboard Music Awards are determined by the consumer," says Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts. "When fans buy music or listen to the radio, those choices determine our winners."

Now in its 112th year, Billboard is the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events and brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. Billboard is the flagship property for the Billboard Information Group, which also consists of Billboard.biz, Billboard.com, Billboard Chart Alert, Billboard Information Network (BIN), Billboard Directories, Billboard Books, Billboard Licensing & Events and Radio & Records.

Billboard�s many strategic partners include Microsoft, Hands-On Mobile, Reuters, Sirius Satellite Radio, Telemundo, Univision Radio, ABC Radio Networks, Azteca America, BigChampagne and Billboard sister companies Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. These partnerships leverage Billboard�s proprietary data, charts and information resources to develop broadcast entertainment, digital and mobile platforms and contextual commerce applications that expand Billboard�s franchise and consumer reach.

MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar De La Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Janet Jackson, Billy Joel, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to THE BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS on FOX, the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA).

THE 2006 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS is executive-produced by Greg Sills and Michael Levitt. Bruce Gowers will direct and Wylleen May is the executive in charge of production.