'Idol' alums aplenty at American Music Awards

It was a big night for Idol alums at the 2009 American Music Awards, as familiar faces spanning multiple seasons of the show were on-hand to make appearances.

The night was filled with a few shockers (Who's Gloriana?) and a lot of mess ups, plus most of the performances were lackluster. Therefore, it was no surprise that most of the performances from Idol alums were considered to be among the bright spots of the night. Here's a rundown of the performances:

Daughtry was the first alum to perform at the ceremony, as the boys showcased their latest single "Life After You." Watch the performance below:

Although some might accuse it of being boring, Chris and the guys sounded as good as usual. The song will probably have a long and healthy chart life on multiple formats, and this performance will serve as a good launching pad.

Kelly Clarkson's hit single "Already Gone" received a warm reception thanks to a stringed accompaniment, which was a new approach for the performance. Watch it below:



Kelly is the original Idol, and she will always have a special place in fans' hearts. The fact that she got a standing ovation just goes to show she is one of the most respected artists in the industry, and her vocals were among the best of the night (if not the best).

Carrie Underwood delivered one of the hottest performances of her career when she took to the stage to sing "Cowboy Casanova." Watch the scorcher below:



Notice the reaction shot from Paula Abdul? Either they caught her at a bad spot or she was not impressed with the fourth season's champ. Carrie's performance is being widely considered to be one of the highlights of the show even though she didn't seem all too happy with herself judging from her reaction at the end.

And then there was Adam Lambert and his much hyped performance that everyone "would be talking about" the next day. Well, it looks like he accomplished his goal:



Sorry, everything about that was atrocious.

As for the actual awards, neither of the two Idol-related alums took home any hardware. Both Carrie and Daughtry were nominated, both of them lost to Taylor Swift. But at least now they have something in common with Michael Jackson, as the former King of Pop lost out to the up and coming country music star in the "Artist of the Year" category.

Other Idol personnel (or former personnel) were in the building, as Paula presented the category for "Favorite Band/Duo/Group" for Pop/Rock and Ryan Seacrest presented for "Artist of the Year." He was also sure to plug his "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve" special this New Year's Eve while on the stage. Kris Allen was also there to present, as he and Demi Lovato presented the "Best Female Soul/R&B Artist" award to Beyonce, who was not in the building.

There was a Blake Lewis sighting on the red carpet, and he tweeted a picture of himself with Perez Hilton. If that's what he considers to be a photo opp, then good for him.

All in all, the night was a big one for Idol performance-wise, but in the scope of things no one will really remember anything special taking place. Possibly the fact that Swift one a few too many awards, but that's nothing new.

The 2009 AMAs were held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., and was broadcast on ABC.