Spice Girls Win Big; Sinatra Tribute’s Bigger

Frank Sinatra and the Spice Girls showed Monday night that you don’t have to actually be in the house to dominate the American Music Awards.

The Spice Girls, who were in Ireland preparing for their upcoming tour, were the night’s big winners at the Shrine Auditorium, capturing three awards in the pop-rock category, including favorite group, new artist and album.

And a poignant tribute to Sinatra, who was at home in Beverly Hills, provided the show’s emotional centerpiece.

Tearfully accepting her father’s special Award of Merit, Sinatra’s daughter Nancy told a worldwide television audience, “I bring you greetings from the coolest guy on the face of the planet next to Puff Daddy--my daddy. . . .

“When I left the house, Dad said, ‘Give all the fans a hug for me because they made me possible.’ So, consider yourself hugged by the Chairman of the Board.”

Later, she said backstage that her 82-year-old father, who has not appeared in public since suffering a heart attack a year ago, was “fine” after undergoing a physical over the weekend and receiving “good reports.”

“His spirits are great,” she said. “So is his appetite.”

She said he has even mentioned returning to performing.

“He talks about it a little bit, but we kind of squelch it,” she said. “We kind of sit on him and say, ‘No, you’re retired now. That’s it.’ ”

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Decidedly not retired is another pop music veteran, Julio Iglesias, who won the award for favorite Latin artist in the show’s most interesting competition, beating out a field that included his 22-year-old son, Enrique.

Accepting his statuette, the elder Iglesias said, “I’d like to say to my sons, as long as I will be onstage, I will compete with them.”

Backstage, Iglesias called his son a great singer--”He has the good genes,” he said--but said he wasn’t surprised to be the first artist honored in the new category.

“I’m the best one,” he said. “After 30 years, I deserve it.”

Unlike the far more prestigious Grammy Awards, which will be presented in a Feb. 25 ceremony in New York, the American Music Awards are determined by a popularity poll of the public after a ballot is put together based on sales and radio airplay information.

The night’s most surprised winner seemed to be Babyface, who won for best male artist in both the pop-rock and soul/R&B; categories, beating out Puff Daddy, among others, for both awards. Puff Daddy, nominated in five categories, went home without winning any awards.

“This didn’t feel like my year,” said Babyface, who embraced Puff Daddy after his second award was announced. “A lot of hot things were out this year--in particular, I was kind of pulling for Puffy. As much as I like the idea of winning, part of me wanted him to be up there with me.”