Michael Jackson nominations make a mockery of the American Music Awards

{Originally published here}

The American Music Awards have always been the red-headed stepchild of award shows, playing second (or even third) fiddle behind the Grammys and the MTV Video Music Awards. I've made fun of them many times over the years for some of the ridiculous things they do, but this one takes the cake.

The American Music Awards have just released their nominations for 2009, and get this - Michael Jackson is nominated five times. The same Michael Jackson who has released exactly ONE new song this entire year - and that was just two days ago. Somehow, the AMAs think that makes Michael worthy of an Artist of the Year nomination.

The award winners will be determined by fans online. That guarantees Jackson of winning all five, because he has the most rabid worldwide fan base. Kids in New Zealand and Argentina and Austria will be voting for Michael. Eminem and Taylor Swift just can't compete with that. This means that in a few short weeks, the American Music Awards will be awarding their Artist of the Year trophy for 2009 to Michael Jackson. Absolutely stunning.

No one would deny the impact that Jackson has had on popular music. In my opinion he's the greatest pop star of all-time. But allowing him to compete for awards that are supposed to reward the best music of 2009 is simply ridiculous.

The American Music Awards are going for a ratings grab, plain and simple. Dick Clark and the folks who run the AMAs realize their show has become completely irrelevant and have decided they can profit off Michael's death by nominating him for every award possible and hoping that Janet or Jermaine shows up at the ceremony to accept them.

The American Music Awards could have presented a tribute to Michael Jackson during their show and no one would have protested. But to nominate him for five awards makes an absolute mockery of the show and ruins what little credibility the American Music Awards had left.