Adam Lambert, Rihanna Help American Music Awards Score Big Ratings - MTV.com

According to Nielsen estimates, the awards show drew 14.2 million viewers, which is 2 million more than last year's program and represents the best showing by the AMAs since 2002.

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Though NBC still won the night with "Sunday Night Football," ABC pulled ahead during the 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. hours. The strong numbers for the show were boosted, no doubt, by the promise of more than 20 performances from some of music's biggest acts, including Jay-Z, Green Day, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem with 50 Cent, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston. In the end, though, it was Lambert who made the biggest headlines, with his aggressively pansexual performance of the title track from his major-label debut, For Your Entertainment.

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