Madonna,Eminem Win MTV Europe Awards

Friday, November 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) â€” Madonna and rap star Eminem led the winners in the 7th annual MTV Europe Music Awards Thursday, while British artist Robbie Williams took the best song honor.

Madonna, who also was nominated for best song, won for best dance and best female artist. She thanked all the Europeans she has worked with, including Swede Jonas Aackerlund, who directed her ``Music'' video.

``It's very fitting that I should be here at the European MTV music awards because I always end up working with Europeans,'' she said.

Eminem was the other double winner for best hip hop and best album with ``The Marshall Mathers LP.''

Backstreet Boys won the best group award for the second year in a row. The five-member band was embarking on a world tour from Sweden Friday morning with plans to travel to six different continents in 100 hours.

Also honored, with the Free Your Mind Award, was the Serbian student group OTPOR, which since 1998 led an opposition campaign against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who was ousted in October.

``We honor a group of young people who were essential in bringing down a reviled dictatorship,'' French actor Jean Reno said in presenting the award, which included a sum of $14,300.

Williams, who won for the song ``Rock DJ,'' told the crowd at Stockholm's landmark Globe Arena, ``I'd like to thank MTV for my three houses, my five cars and my supermodel girlfriend. Long live the dream.''

The best male artist award went to Ricky Martin, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jennifer Lopez won for best rock and best R&B, respectively.

The winners for most of the 21 awards were chosen by fans from all over Europe who voted by phone or on a Web site. More than 6 million votes were received â€” triple the 2 million for last year's ceremony in Dublin, Ireland. The best video award and the ``Free Your Mind'' award â€” designed to highlight a social issue â€” were selected by MTV Europe.

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On the Net:

MTV Europe Music Awards: http://www.mtve.com