Oklahoma native and country music superstar Carrie Underwood performs at Sunday night’s 37th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles. (Associated Press photos)

The fan-voted 2009 American Music Awards took place Sunday night in Los Angeles, with the late Michael Jackson and country music starlet Taylor Swift emerging as the show’s big winners. The cross-genre show also featured more than a dozen performances, including ones from Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, Rihanna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.

Here are some photos from the awards show:

Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney…

Rascal Flatts accepts the award for favorite country band, duo or group title during Sunday’s American Music Awards in Los Angeles. (Associated Press photos)

Michael Jackson won a record four posthumous awards at Sunday night’s American Music Awards, while country starlet Taylor Swift won five trophies, including the top award, entertainer of the year.

The 19-year-old country music star was named the year’s favorite artist, giving Jackson his only loss of the night, according to the Associated Press. She also was awarded favorite female pop/rock artist, favorite female country artists, favorite country album…

J.J. Abrams’ hit reboot “Star Trek” warps onto DVD and Blu-ray today, just in time for Christmas shopping.

In honor of its 70th anniversary, the film classic “Gone with the Wind” gets an “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” release on DVD and Blu-ray.

Several recording artists are releasing CDs today, again to coincide with the holiday gift-buying season. Among those releases are the self-titled first album from 2009 “American Idol” winner Kris Allen and an expanded re-release of runner-up Adam Lambert’s pre-”Idol” debut record. (Lambert will put out his new album “For Your Entertainment”…

Carrie Underwood (Associated Press photo)

Oklahoma country music star Carrie Underwood and British singer Leona Lewis will perform at the third annual “CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute,” CNN announced today.

The gala honors everyday citizens who are making a difference in their communities and beyond. Hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the program will air globally on Thanksgiving, at 8 p.m. Nov. 26 on CNN/U.S., CNN International and CNN en Español.

Celebrities scheduled to present include Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne…

Checotah native Carrie Underwood is continuing her huge TV blitz in support of her new album, “Play On,” which is currently sitting at No. 1 on the multi-genre Billboard 200 chart as well as on Billboard’s Country Albums list. The “American Idol” winner also has the No. 1 country song in the land with the album’s lead-off single “Cowboy Casanova.”

Today The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

Nov 18 The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Nov 19 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Nov 22 American Music Awards

In addition, the country star’s first-ever “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” will…

A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.

Carrie Underwood’s got the write stuff for new album
Underwood co-wrote seven of 13 titles on her New album, ‘Play On’

Between the No. 1 hits and the TV appearances, the magazine covers and the red carpet fashions, music fans can be forgiven for forgetting that country superstar Carrie Underwood was once an aspiring journalist.

But the credits for her new album “Play On” serve as a pointed reminder that the Oklahoma native was sharpening her pen long before she…

Carrie Underwood (Associated Press photo)

Music superstar Carrie Underwood, who is celebrating the release of her new album “Play On” this week in New York City, is announcing additional television appearances coming up later this month.

The Oklahoma native has set several added appearances for the week after she co-hosts the Country Music Association’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards with Brad Paisley on Wednesday Nov. 11.

Underwood will make her first-ever appearances on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” on Monday, Nov. 16, and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (where she will perform an outdoor concert) on Thursday,…

David Cook (Associated Press photo)

A version of this story appears in Saturday’s The Oklahoman.

SHAWNEE – “American Idol” David Cook will return to Oklahoma to perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at Firelake Grand Casino.

Born in Houston and raised in Blue Springs, Mo., Cook was working on his music career in Tulsa when he won a spot on the reality TV singing contest. Just a week after he won “Idol” in May 2008, he had 14 songs listed on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs Survey and 11 on the Hot 100.

His self-titled…

SHAWNEE – David Cook, the 2008 winner of “American Idol,” will return to Oklahoma to perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at Firelake Grand Casino.

Born in Houston and raised in Blue Springs, Mo., Cook was working on his music career in Tulsa when he won a spot on the reality TV singing contest. Just a week after winning “Idol,” he had 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs Survey and 11 on the Hot 100.

His self-titled debut album, released last fall, has been certified platinum.

However, music wasn’t the only career Cook…

Julianne Hough

The first group of presenters has been announced for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards, which will hosted by Brad Paisley and Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood, and air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 11 on ABC.

The first celebrities announced as presenters for the Country Music Association’s award show: NASCAR superstar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.; stars of ABC’s “The Middle” Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton; Julianne Hough; nominee Randy Houser (for both New Artist and Music Video of the Year for “Boots On”); nominee Jake Owen (New Artist of…