Santana Wins at American Music Awards

Carlos Santana’s band won best-album honors at Monday’s American Music Awards for “Supernatural,” a commercial comeback that put the rock guitar maestro on top of the charts for the first time in his 30-year career.

Shania Twain won two awards, for favorite pop-rock female artist and country female artist. Garth Brooks also won two awards, for favorite country male artist and favorite country album for “Double Live.” Brooks also received a special honor as artist of the 1990s.

The other double winner was Lauryn Hill, for soul-rhythm and blues female artist and top soul-R&B; album with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Will Smith won for pop-rock male artist.

“Supernatural” beat out teen sensations the Backstreet Boys’ “Millennium” and Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.”

Later in the evening, the Backstreet Boys topped Santana for favorite pop-rock band, duo or group. Spears won for favorite new pop-rock artist. “This has been such an amazing adventure for me, this whole year,” she said.

TLC were chosen as favorite soul-rhythm and blues artist on the strength of their album “FanMail.” Tyrese took the honors for new soul-rhythm and blues artist.

R. Kelly won for favorite male soul-R&B; artist, and DMX won for favorite rap/hip-hop artist.

Whitney Houston, who tied with Twain and Spears for most nominations with three, was departing for Europe on Monday night or today and had not planned on attending the show, awards spokesman Paul Shefrin said. He said her absence was unrelated to an incident in Hawaii last week, when airport security guards said they found about half an ounce of marijuana in her bag but she boarded her flight before police arrived.