winner – Memphis Flyer

Justin Timberlake did Memphis proud last night by scoring the favorite male pop/rock artist and favorite soul/R&B album honors during the 35th Annual American Music Awards. He was topped only by Daughtry, the band led by a former American Idol contestant, which won three awards.

The star-studded musical event aired Sunday night on ABC. Nominees are selected based on national sales and radio play. Borrowing a page from American Idol, this year’s winners were determined by votes cast online, a first in the award show’s history.

Currently touring in Australia, Timberlake appeared via satellite from Melbourne to say thanks for the award. “I know you have to be a male and an artist to win this one — and thankfully, I am both.” Har.

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Abe Gaustad has won the grand prize in the 2007 Memphis Magazine Fiction Contest for his story “The Torso.” It will be published in the December issue of Memphis.

An honorable mention winner in 2002, Gaustad holds a master of fine arts in creative writing and expects to receive his doctorate in English in 2008 from the University of Tennessee.

Gaustad’s work has appeared in a variety of nationally distributed literary magazines, including Other Voices and New Orleans Review. He has also won awards for his fiction from the University of Tennessee, Orchid: A Literary Review and Glimmer Train magazine. He is looking for a publisher for his book of short stories and working to complete a novel set in Brasilia and Memphis, tentatively titled Building Cities in the Dark.

Honorable mention winners this year are Marsha L. McSpadden and Court Ogilvie. The annual contest, now in its 18th year, is sponsored by Burke’s Book Store and Davis-Kidd Booksellers.