Kanye West will receive the Artist Achievement Award at the 2005 Billboard Music Awards, which will be held Dec. 6 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. West is being recognized both for his artistic excellence and Billboard chart accomplishments. Tom Petty will receive the Century Award, Billboard's highest honor for creative achievement.

Reigning American Idol champ Carrie Underwood has joined the performance lineup for the awards, which will also feature Green Day, Toby Keith and R. Kelly. Among the artists newly confirmed to make appearances at the event are 50 Cent, Lil Jon, Linkin Park and Chris Brown, joining the previously announced Bo Bice, Chingy, Nick Cannon, Carmen Electra, the Blue Man Group and Hulk and Brooke Hogan. Additional performers and participants, as well as the show's host, will be announced shortly.


The Billboard Music Awards honor the most popular recordings and artists of the year as determined by actual performance on the magazine's weekly charts. Awards finalists will be determined after the close of the chart year in late November.