A movie deal. Check. A new jewelry line. Check. Another bunch of music awards. Check.
Not a bad week's work for Mariah Carey, who capped a busy seven days--and an amazing year--by taking two top trophies at Saturday's 20th Annual Soul Train Music Awards: Best Female R&B-Soul Album for The Emancipation of Mimi and Best Female Single honors for "We Belong Together."
"This has been the biggest and most successful year of my life," Carey said at the podium. "You know that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger."
The octave-shattering diva has completely rebounded from the near-career-slaying disaster that was 2001's album and movie twofer, Glitter, which led to Virgin buying out her contract because the label considered her a liability.
Carey's Mimi became the top-selling album of 2005 and has earned her a case full of awards: three Grammys, four Vibe Awards, five Billboard Awards, four Radio Music Awards, four World Music Awards and the NAACP Image Award for Best Album. Along the way she also tied Elvis Presley's for the most number one singles by a solo artist with 17.
On the male side, newcomer John Legend mirrored Carey with wins for Best Male R&B-Soul Album for Get Lifted and Best Male Single for "Ordinary People." He also earned the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year.
"I'm truly humbled that you chose me for this," said Legend.
R. Kelly, who led the field with three nominations, including Best Male Single for his R&B opera "Trapped in the Closet," failed to win any competitive awards, but he didn't go home empty-handed. He received the inaugural Stevie Wonder Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Stevie Wonder himself.
Hours before the ceremony, Wonder attended the unveiling of his eponymous bronze statuette.
"I would say to anybody getting this honor, 'Wear me well,'" Wonder quipped.
Legendary musician and producer Quincy Jones turned up to bestow the Quincy Jones Lifetime Achievement Award on Jamie Foxx, who stormed the charts with his new album, Unpredictable. Destiny's Child, which won Best R&B/Soul Single for a Group, Band or Duo for "Cater 2 U," was awarded the Quincy Jones Outstanding Career Achievement prize.
The evening's other big winners included Kanye West, who tracked down the Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul/Rap Music Video for "Gold Digger"; the Black Eyed Peas, who picked up Best R&B Soul Album Group, Band or Duo for Monkey Business; and 16-year-old Chris Brown, who took a break from homework and high school to grab the prize for Best New Rap Artist for his disc, Run It.
The Soul Train Awards, created by Don Cornelius after his long-running TV franchise, singles out the best in R&B, hip-hop, rap and gospel. Nominations and winners are based on a survey of radio programmers, talent managers and artists.
Saturday's kudofest, emceed by Vivica A. Fox and Tyrese Gibson, will be broadcast in syndication, starting Mar. 11.
Here's a complete list of winners for the 20th annual Soul Train Music Awards:
Female R&B/Soul Single: "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey
Male R&B/Soul Single: "Ordinary People," John Legend
R&B/Soul Single Group, Band or Duo: "Cater 2 U," Destiny's Child
Female R&B/Soul Album: The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey
Male R&B/Soul Album: Get Lifted , John Legend
R&B/Soul Album Group, Band or Duo: Monkey Business, Black Eyed Peas
Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video: "Gold Digger," Kanye West
Best Gospel Album: Psalms, Hyms and Spiritual Songs, Donnie McClurkin
Best New Artist: Chris Brown
R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut: "Lose Control," Missy Elliot featuring Ciara and Fat Man Schoop
Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year: John Legend
Quincy Jones Outstanding Career Achievement, Male: Jamie Foxx
Quincy Jones Outstanding Career Achievement, Female: Destiny's Child
Stevie Wonder Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting: R. Kelly