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LOS ANGELES - US country singer Carrie Underwood won the Best New Artist award at the 49th annual Grammy Awards ceremony here Sunday.

"This is absolutely unbelievable," Underwood said, accepting the award. "I love country music first of all," she said.

Underwood found fame as the winner of television talent show "American Idol," and thanked the show for its role in her win.

She beat British singer James Blunt, American R and B singer Chris Brown, Britishsong writer-pianist Imogen Heap and singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae to the award.

Agence France-Presse