Miley Cyrus queen of the Kids Choice Awards

31/03/2008 18:43

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Many stars vied for honours at the Kids Choice Awards on Saturday, but only two mattered to the thousands of screaming children on hand.

Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old heroine of the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana," and the Jonas Brothers, a pop band comprised of three fresh-faced siblings, were the top draws at the Oscars for the pint-sized set. A-listers like Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz could only look on in bemusement.

Cyrus performed at the 90-minute ceremony, and picked up a pair of orange blimp statuettes for favourite female singer and television actress.

Her "Hannah Montana" concert tour was the hottest ticket in the land last year, with anxious parents paying thousands of dollars for scalped tickets. The scarcity of tickets prompted political probes and even a Federal Reserve economics primer on the basics of supply and demand. A concert film recently topped the North American box office.

Arriving at the Pauley Pavilion with three bodyguards in tow, Cyrus elicited ear-splitting shrieks from the excitable fans. When she took to the stage to accept her awards, she thanked, in true Hollywood style, "my lord and saviour Jesus Christ" and her coterie of managers and agents.

The Jonas Brothers -- Joe, 18, Kevin, 20, and Nick, 15 -- were named favourite music group.

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The ceremony, now in its 21st year, is organized by Viacom Inc-owned kids cable channel Nickelodeon. Host Jack Black said more than 88 million votes were cast online. Last year’s telecast drew a record 6.1 million viewers across the United States. The show is also broadcast internationally.

The decidedly goofy event gives serious Hollywood celebrities an excuse to degrade themselves for children’s amusement. Harrison Ford and Orlando Bloom were drenched in green slime, the network’s traditional badge of honour. Diaz, winner of the Wannabe Award for best role model, took time out in a special booth to display her belching skills.

Perhaps most bizarrely, German supermodel Heidi Klum was hoisted through the air on a cable, and had to pop balloons with spikes attached to the derriere of her jumpsuit. That’s quite a leap from the catwalks of Milan and New York.

Other winners -- not that anyone really remembered five minutes afterwards -- included "Shrek" co-star Murphy for favourite voice from an animated movie, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" for favourite movie, and Jessica Alba and Johnny Depp for favourite movie stars.

(Editing by Doina Chiacu)

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