Awards / Awards Shows

The biggest names in music rocked Radio City Hall in New York last night for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. While some critics have already panned the show as one of the worst in years, you can't blame the stars.

A leather clad Beyoncé rocked the house with her new single "Ring The Alarm," Shakira gyrated all over the place in belly dancing garb and Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz even brought a monkey to the red carpet.

Check out TMZ's gallery of the hottest people, moments and on stage performances from the evening. It might be easier than sitting through the three-and-a-half hour show again.

After emerging from an LA area tanning salon, the singer was spotted rocking a devilish tank top with the phrase "Sun Your Buns In Hell" printed across the chest. It's fair to point out that in her VMA nominated video, "Stupid Girls," she hypocritically pokes fun at girls that get sunless tans. Guess that's one topic a little too hot for t-shirts.

With MTV's Video Music Awards returning to Radio City Music Hall this year, the All-American Rejects are ready to bring something different to a crowd familiar with Diddy's over-the-top antics.

"It's not going to be like last year when Puffy walked out to the center and gave away his watch, remember that?" says Reject frontman Tyson Ritter at a rehearsal for the show, "he was like 'look at me, I have money.'"

Ritter jokes the band may have a few gifts up their sleeves but anyone going to the awards shouldn't be expecting too much bling. "We're going to give away some cubic zirconia, some Swatches maybe, Casio. It's going to be awesome."

The band, who will make their first appearance at the VMAs this year, have also jokingly threatened to start some backstage drama saying, "We're going to get drunk too quick and probably say something to somebody that's really famous ... and really shouldn't."

Jeremy Piven's outfit was all the rage on the Emmy red carpet, and now...BOOM! You can have a piece of the action. The star's stylish John Varvatos sunglasses can be yours ... if the price is right! The shades have officially hit the cyber auction block at www.Cmarket.com, but its all in the name of charity. The procedes from this sale will benefit the emergency relief efforts in Darfur, Children's Defense Fund and Cure Autism Now. The current bid is at $125 which .. and if you know anything about John Varvatos, it's a deal Ari Gold wouldn't let you pass up!

Should you miss out on Piven's flashy eyewear, you are sure to find a whole lot more Emmy red carpet dazzlers for auction from Clothes Off Our Back.

Sources tell TMZ that "Entourage's" Jeremy Piven, who took home the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, absolutely fell in love with his Dolce & Gabbana navy blue, peak lapel tux. He also sported their white shirt beneath the surface.

Behind the scenes of any awards show is a world of pure insanity. As the stars make their media rounds, they are in constant need of hair and make-up touch- ups. As was the case last night for legendary "Dynasty" actress Joan Collins.

Just as Joan was finishing up an interview, her hair guy swooped in to revitalize her look. There was just one problem; the cameras were still rolling. Needless to say, madame was none too happy that she was being coiffed for all the world to see. Her expression quickly jumped from a gleamingly pleasant smile to pissed-off diva scowl in just a matter of seconds. She then demanded that the touch-up team take her in front of a mirror immediately, if they wanted to continue their work.

Sometimes Billy Bush just doesn't know when to quit -- and last night on the Emmy red carpet, Jeremy Piven lashed out at him for it. Last night, during the red-carpet prelude to the Emmys, "Access Hollywood's" Bush corralled "Entourage's" Piven, and began a line of questioning concerning celebrity babies. Piven had just flown in from Arizona, where he was shooting a movie with Jennifer Garner, and so Bush asked him about Garner's baby Violet.

Bush then asked Piven if, given that Piven lives in Malibu, whether he had laid eyes on Brangelina's baby Shiloh. Piven said he hadn't, explaining that he had "116 other things to do...I don't go hunting for celebrity babies, thank you, Billy."

"You need another job. You have potential as a human being..."

Undeterred, or clearly not getting the message, Bush then asked if he'd seen Suri Cruise. Piven finally lost his patience. "You need another job. You have potential as a human being," said Piven, not at all hiding his irritation. "This may not be right for you. Seriously -- can you focus on other things?"

At least Bush got one thing right. He predicted -- correctly -- that Jeremy Piven would get his statuette, and Piven did, for his role as Ari Gold.

Conan O'Brien made fun of NBC's tumble in the ratings during his opening number ("To prove things are going to hell, we're relying on Howie Mandel," he sung at one point). But things aren't all bad at the Peacock Network. In fact, if the Emmys are any indication, things are just dandy.

NBC won a total of 14 Emmys (between Sunday's telecast and the Creative Arts Awards given out last week), six of those wins coming last night -- a number equal to the total of CBS, FOX and ABC combined.

The network took home the top comedy prize ("The Office") and writing and directing honors for comedy (both for "My Name Is Earl"). On the acting side, Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU") won best actress in a drama, Megan Mullally ("Will & Grace") won best supporting actress in a comedy and Alan Alda ("The West Wing") won best supporting actor in a drama.

The win for Alda (the sixth of his career) gave "The West Wing" a total of 26 for its seven-year run, tying it with "Hill Street Blues" for the most ever by a primetime series.

So while Conan may have joked that since the Emmys were on NBC, they would probably get canceled halfway through, they still might win an award next year.

Simon Cowell hit the Emmy scene with girlfriend Terri Seymour in tow, but who's the mystery woman hanging out with Kyle XY's Matt Dallas at Club Social in Hollywood?

Amidst the chaos of the post-Emmy party limo lines, TMZ couldn't help but notice the next generation of TV stars standing out in a big way.

Yeah, the Matthew Perrys and Debra Messings are still out there, but our eyes were drawn to the fresh faces like Zach Braff, Jamie Pressly and Dulé Hill at Club Social in Hollywood.

Sunday was glam night for TV stars, but geez ... with so many options from the Hollywood beauty machine, how on earth could some of these celebs have made such horrendous choices?

Kyra Sedgwick must have mistakenly visited a bridal shop -- or, even worse, a bridesmaid's shop! Candice Bergen is indescribable in what looks like would be more appropriate at a hoedown. Simon Cowell -- TMZ loves him -- but, come on, with the three shirt buttons open he exposed the most cleavage of the night. Paula hit yet another bad note! And someone get "Grey's Anatomy"'s Sandra Oh a new stylist -- stat! Check out TMZ's worst Emmy fashion choices.

The overnight ratings are in for last night's 58th annual Emmy telecast, and the news isn't good for NBC: The 13.1 rating/20 share represents an almost 12 percent drop from last year's 14.9 rating/22 share on CBS, according to preliminary estimates.

After the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences instituted a new nominations procedure this year, several observers speculated that there might be a drop in ratings, since several shows that were expected to nab a large number of nominations -- like "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" -- did not, and also given the significant number of nominees (and, in the end, winners) that were from shows that had been cancelled.

The 2004 Emmys on ABC, with a 13.79 rating, had been the worst since 1990, but even that would represent a considerable improvement on NBC's numbers.

TV's annual festival of self-congratulation passed into history last night for the 58th time, and history will note that Fox's "24" finally got the recognition it deserved, that Conan O'Brien ought to be given the hosting gig for life, and that HBO just can't lose the movie/miniseries category.

What's more, backstage, Tina Fey actually did go "arse-over-tits," in Helen Mirren's charming phraseology, "The Office"'s Rainn Wilson just had to kiss his castmates, and Martin and Charlie Sheen shared a nice filial cigarette.

The 2006 Emmy Awards came and went this evening in Hollywood, and as usual the celebrities on hand did their very best to bring the maximum glamour to the occasion. Whether it was the young (Katherine Heigl), the slightly less young (the original Charlie's Angels), the pregnant (Heidi Klum), or the manly (Patrick Dempsey), TMZ has an early look at the sweetest eye candy from the night's festivities.

We'll have more on the Emmys tomorrow, but for now, have a gander at TMZ's seven smokingest celebs.