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Country Throwback: Garth Brooks Accepts ‘Artist of the Decade’ Award from American Music Awards

You won’t believe the numbers that Garth Brooks put up when he won the Artist of the Decade in 2000. Brooks won the prestigious award for dominating the music industry in the 1990s.

Country superstar Brooks received the award after mopping up the music industry. He produced a whopping 9 albums throughout the 1990s. Consequently, Garth Brooks received the Artist of the Decade trophy from the American Music Awards.

In this YouTube clip, Brooks graciously receives one of the highest honors in the music industry.

Dressed in a tuxedo and cowboy hat, Garth graciously accepts the award and begins his choked up speech. The camera pans back and forth between Brooks and his father, who is holding a picture of his late wife. The two are teary-eyed as he continues his speech.

“I’d like to dedicate this award to my mom and my dad. I love you guys very much. Dad’s out in the audience tonight, and my mom’s up in heaven. And I wanna say uh, to my wife Sandy that it’s no mystery our future… we don’t know what’s going to happen but you can’t deny the last decade was because of God and you.”

Brooks Breaks Records

As moving a tribute to his family as there is, Brooks’ speech is joyful and heart wrenching all at the same time.

Brooks was the first country musician to win the award, and he did so in record fashion. At the time, he was the fastest-selling musician of all time. He had four albums that sold over 10 million copies each. Also, he sold over 95 million albums in all.

That is impressive all on its own. But when you consider that it beats out the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Whitney Houston it’s all the more crazy.

Taylor Swift won the award most recently for her work across the 2000s. This marks the next time a country musician won the award. At the time, Swift played mainly country music.

Brooks might never see someone match the dominance he had across the decade.