October 29, 2003

Nelly, Michelle Branch's Hotel Rooms Burglarized During Awards Show

By Joseph Patel (MTV.com)

Nelly and Michelle Branch might not have much in common musically, but personally they share quite a bit. Both were in Las Vegas on Monday attending the 2003 Radio Music Awards and were the victims of burglaries at the Aladdin Hotel.

Around 9 p.m. local time, while both artists were in attendance at the awards ceremony, their respective rooms were robbed, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson.

Approximately $1 million worth of jewelry was lifted from the room of Nelly, and Branch's personal computer and some related equipment were also taken.

As of Tuesday morning (October 28), an investigation of the burglaries was still being conducted by the police department's Tourist Safety Unit. There were no other robberies reported at the Aladdin Hotel at the time.

While losing his valuables at the hotel, Nelly was actually winning a new one at the Radio Music Awards. "Shake Ya Tailfeather," the song he appears on with P. Diddy and Murphy Lee, won Best Driving Song. Branch, meanwhile, was a performer at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on NBC.

Other winners included Justin Timberlake for Artist of the Year/Top 40 Radio Award and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who took home the Legend Award honoring lifetime achievement. Michael Jackson received the Humanitarian Award.

The Radio Awards are voted on by radio programmers and music directors around the country, honoring the most played songs on radio.