Kelly Clarkson couldn't just walk away.

Before ABC's broadcast of the 2006 American Music Awards had even begun Tuesday night, the original American Idol champ had collected two trophies, joining the Black Eyed Peas, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mary J. Blige and Rascal Flatts in the multiple-winners wing of Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium.

Clarkson, who has been reaping honors all year—including two Grammys—for her sophomore album Breakaway, snagged Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist honors. She was presented with the awards during the prebroadcast portion of the ceremony.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers scored AMAs for Favorite Alternative Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Band, pleasing fans on both sides of the spectrum. The Stadium Arcadium rockers thanked "the American people" via satellite from London.

Black Eyed Peas also straddled categories, earning Favorite Soul/R&B and Favorite Rap/Hip-hop Group honors, as well as Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Monkey Business, giving them a leading three awards for the night. They, too, accepted their awards via video feed—this time from Costa Rica.

Frontman Will.I.Am thanked the group's fans for "keeping hip-hop progressive and pushing it forward."

Rascal Flatts was named Favorite Country Band and, with the support of their fans and a major corporation, won the evening's T-Mobile Text-in Award.

Mary J. Blige received the first televised award of the night: Favorite Female Soul/R&B Artist, presented to her by none other than a gum-chewing Britney Spears, who apparently means business when she says she's headed for a musical comeback.

Spears, in fighting shape in a formfitting strapless dress, was a surprise presenter—one who obviously didn't mind host Jimmy Kimmel's earlier reference to Kevin Federline as a "no-hit wonder" and a sketch in which a K-Fed look-alike was sealed up in a wooden crate headed for the high seas.

Or did she? E! News learned that Spears did not in fact know the AMAs would be raking Federline over the coals and after she left the stage, her representatives were reportedly none too pleased and demanded the offending footage be edited out of the West Coast broadcast.

It wasn't. (And upon reflection, maybe Britney did look a little perturbed when she had to go onstage right after the Federline gag.)

"I knew they wouldn't mind, because I know they both have great senses of humor," Kimmel, who came up with the sketch before Spears had been added to the AMA lineup, told E! Online's Marc Malkin after the event.

Right. Anyway, as far as surprises go, Spears—and the joke played on her estranged hubby—may have been it.

Possessing neither the hipness quotient of the MTV Video Music Awards nor the prestige of the Grammys, the AMAs have nonetheless managed to carve out a niche as the award show that can be reliably counted upon to honor popularity in a variety of broadly defined genres.

How else then could a compilation called Greatest Hits Volume 2, courtesy of Tim McGraw, win Favorite Country Album?

For instance, a no-show Eminem, who hasn't released a new studio album in two years, won Favorite Male Rap/Hip-hop Artist. But to be fair, Slim Shady has a new disc out next month, Eminem Presents The Re-Up.

Jamie Foxx, whose post-Oscar album Unpredictable dropped last December and sold more than 3 million copies, was named Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist. Much to the audience's delight, he did not channel his Ray persona.

"I'm like a rookie in this music thing," the actor-singer said. "This means a lot more than you think, man."

The ceremony kicked off with a sequin-clad Beyoncé, performing the single "Irreplaceable" off of B'Day.

Sequins also suited the Pussycat Dolls, as the comely sextet strutted through a rendition of "Buttons," and were a hit with Gwen Stefani, who showed—in a sparkly minidress—that she obviously has her figure back. The new mom jammed with the new tune "Wind It Up" from her upcoming album, The Sweet Escape.

Other performers included Carrie Underwood (who was named Favorite Breakthrough Artist, Nelly Furtado, Snow Patrol, Rascal Flatts, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie, (introduced by daughter Nicole) and Foxx, who donned a white tuxedo and dedicated his performance of "Wish U Were Here" to his biological mother, who was in the audience.

Here's a complete list of the evening's winners, which were selected by a nationwide poll:

POP/ROCK

Favorite Male Artist: Sean Paul

Favorite Female Artist: Kelly Clarkson

Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Favorite Album: All the Right Reasons, Nickelback

COUNTRY

Favorite Male Artist: Toby Keith

Favorite Female Artist: Faith Hill

Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Rascal Flatts

Favorite Album: Greatest Hits Volume 2, Tim McGraw

Favorite Male Artist: Jamie Foxx

Favorite Female Artist: Mary J. Blige

Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Black Eyed Peas

Favorite Album: The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige

RAP/HIP-HOP

Favorite Male Artist: Eminem

Favorite Band, Duo or Group: Black Eyed Peas

Favorite Album: Monkey Business, Black Eyed Peas

MISC. 

Favorite Artist, Adult Contemporary: Kelly Clarkson 

Favorite Artist, Alternative Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers 

Favorite Artist, Latin Music: Shakira 

Favorite Artist, Contemporary Inspirational: Kirk Franklin 

Breakthrough Artist: Carrie Underwood 

T-Mobile Text-In Award: Rascal Flatts