Anti-Ashanti Petition!

LOS ANGELES (Top40-Charts.com) - More than 20,000 signatures have been gathered on an Internet petition denouncing the music show's decision to give its Lady of Soul entertainer of the year award to 21-year-old RnB newcomer Ashanti.

A person posted the document at PetitionOnline.com. It has collected 10 times more supporters than a petition opposing a military invasion of Iraq, which had more than 2,300 Tuesday.

The Lady of Soul Awards are in its eighth year. Among this year's nominees are India.Arie, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige and Destiny's Child.

Ashanti has sold more than 2.3 million copies of her self-titled debut album, released earlier this year. Among her hits are the singles "Foolish" and "Happy" and she has become a sensation with numerous TV appearances and magazine pictorials.

Ashanti's critics complain that she's not talented enough to deserve the entertainer of the year honor, especially since it is named after the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Previous winners include Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, TLC and Jill Scott.

"It is an insult to other entertainers who are more deserving of this award and Aretha Franklin. Ashanti simply lacks singing ability and stage presence," the petition states.

Soul Train officials posted an unsigned reaction on the show's Web site that expressed outrage "over the fact that a people, whose ancestry suffered 400 years of slavery, can be herded so easily into a virtually bottomless mud hole and be taught to sling such mud therein."

The awards will be presented Saturday by the "Soul Train" music show. Winners are determined by an unspecified group of radio programmers, recording artists and music retail personnel.

A spokeswoman for Ashanti said Tuesday that the singer would not comment on the criticism prior to the awards show.

In addition to the predetermined entertainer of the year honor, Ashanti is also competing for best solo R&B/soul album and new solo artist, while her hit "Foolish" was nominated for best R&B solo single, song of the year and video of the year.