AMAs pick Duran Duran; fans pick the song
The American Music Awards are taking the whole fan-voting thing pretty seriously.
As voting on the nominees comes to a close at midnight on Nov. 1 (about four hours from the time of this post), another vote is about to start. Expect an announcement early Thursday that Duran Duran will not only appear on 
the Nov. 18 telecast, but fans will be allowed to pick which song the act plays.
The new-wave survivors will be appearing on the AMAs nominally to hype upcoming "Red Carpet Massacre," a new album due Nov. 13.
Yet sources close to the awards say fans will get to choose among older Duran Duran cuts to see on the show, including "Notorious" and "Hungry Like the Wolf." The online clicking should begin Thursday, and last until Nov. 14.
In addition to the Duran Duran item, the AMAs are expected to announce the latest in its string of performers.
Sources say R&B singer Chris Brown, Black Eyed Peas maestro will.i.am. and pop act Maroon 5 will be added to the line-up. The performer list already includes Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Daughtry, Fergie, Rihanna and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.
The influence of reality TV on award shows isn't entirely new, as even the Grammys got into the act last year with an ill-thought-out competition to sing with Justin Timberlake. But that was little more than an "American Idol"-rip, and it's high-time award shows start raising the stakes.
Letting the fans pick what song it will hear is a swell start, especially in a year where TV ratings are less-than-desired, and award performances can be diced-and-spliced later for online viewing. A gimmick, perhaps, but one that takes the idea of a "fan's choice" award up a step.
And it's a far less convoluted gimmick than the one recently employed by the MTV VMAs, where artists were stationed in various rooms and only brief snippets of live performances were shown during the telecast. Rather than give fans the show they wanted, it forced them to work for it.
(Photo courtesy EPA)
