Awards / Awards Shows

For some reason, we didn't do a Globes pool in the office. The best way to make anything more enjoyable is to put money down on it. No matter; the Globes have a more foolproof way to make any event fun: alcohol.

(All times listed are Eastern)

TMZ scored a rare interview with Scott McKnight, the Chief Lighting Director for the Golden Globes. McKnight shared some of his secrets that make stars with vastly-different skin tones all look great. McKnight explains that the key is intensity of light. For someone fair-skinned like Scarlett Johansson, McKnight would bring down the intensity; for Halle Berry, he would crank it.

McKnight says the Globe rehearsals are critical. Lighting meters are studied and adjustments made for the show. The show, McKnight says, is like a high-wire act without a net. His team has no idea who will win in each category; leaving them with just seconds to react and adjust. McKnight says the audience in the ballroom and tv viewers never see the lighting shift. The changes are all subtle but critical.

McKnight admits screaming and short tempers abound in the control room during the live broadcast, but he doesn't take it personally. We asked McKnight what he drinks after the show. His curt reply: "Anything that's open."

The director of photography for NBC Universal Television Entertainment, Eric van der Werff, sent an e-mail Monday to AP, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Getty News Service and WireImage. It said that NBC imposed the fee because it bought a new computer server and is providing technical support for distribution of the "handout" photos.

The Golden Globes, airing Monday night on NBC, are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which has a long-standing rule of allowing only one NBC photographer inside the ballroom. This year the NBC photographer is Paul Drinkwater.

Of the five affected agencies, only WireImage had paid the fee by Friday.

Every year, a few days before the Golden Globes, vendors and studios set up a virtual buffet of decadence around Los Angeles for the stars to peruse and "sample" wares; and by "sample," we mean get free stuff.

Isaiah Washington from 'Grey's Anatomy' and Paris Hilton from "Any Club That Serves a Martini" were both at the Silver Spoon suite, along with Neil Patrick Harris of 'Doogie Howser' fame, checking out items from Red Bull, Mixed Emotions, Elizabeth Grant Skincare, ME! and Lucky Charms. And when they weren't getting drinks served by monkeys or having pictures taken with the Lucky Charms Leprechaun, they were sampling moisturizers, purses, games, shoes, jeans and a perfume that smells like your favorite martini. (Finally, Tara Reid can rest assured she's not the only one who smells like an appletini.)

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Style Lounge
The Silver Spoon
Luxury Lounge
HBO Luxury Suite
Diamonds and Pearls

Outspoken hip hop superstar Kanye West is set to headline 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, January 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Kanye chats with the talk show host about the upcoming Grammy Awards and his thoughts on winning or losing. He also goes deep and tells Ellen what Martin Luther King Jr. means to him.

We have a sneak preview. Watch Kanye's entire interview on Monday.

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood has a term for the celebrity hoopla that precedes its big parties, such as the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. On the red carpet heading in, it's known as "arrivals."

Monday's 63rd annual Globes usher in an awards season heavy on stars new to the game, young actors in breakout roles and veterans who have finally arrived.

Sure, the lineup includes plenty of perennials such as past Oscar winners or nominees Russell Crowe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shirley MacLaine, Charlize Theron, Johnny Depp, Frances McDormand, Judi Dench and Laura Linney.

But among the front-runners are dual-nominee Felicity Huffman, respected character actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and rising star Heath Ledger. Other old hands and fresh faces catching their first serious awards attention include Ziyi Zhang, Keira Knightley, Terrence Howard, David Strathairn, Matt Dillon, Cillian Murphy, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams.

It's even turned out to be a breakout year of sorts for an actor as big as George Clooney, a past Globe winner for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and a three-time TV nominee for "ER."

So what's going to be the hot look this season?

Old Hollywood glamour, says jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor. "It's going to be about sleek dresses and elegance," he told TMZ at the Platinum Guild International suite at the Luxe Hotel in Beverly Hills. "For women, rich colors are back. And when it comes to jewelry for both men and women, it's not blingy for the sake of bling, but rather classic looks."

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Bling for men
Bling for ladies
'Entourage' gets jeweled

Here at TMZ we've been wondering who can live up to the hype and hyperbole of Hollywood's holiest showdown. Who will lead us this year on Oscar night, and shine Hollywood's biggest and brightest spotlight on the stars?

Steve Martin seems like an obvious choice this year; he has two big movies between now and then, 'Cheaper by the Dozen 2' and 'The Pink Panther,' and is in Oscar consideration for another, 'Shopgirl.' Martin hosted in 2003 and 2001 to strong acclaim.

Whoopi Goldberg has already been there and done that: in 2002, 1999, 1996, and 1994.

David Letterman hosted in 1995, but has that pesky restraining order hanging over his head which could knock him out of the running.

Crystal tells Variety that he was asked last week to host, but he had to turn down the job.

Crystal's one-man show "700 Days" opens in Los Angeles next month, he's going to direct a movie and is writing another book.

Crystal is the second star to say "no thanks" to the Oscars. Chris Rock was first.

Pressly got the VIP treatment at the hotel before the show, enjoying food and a few laughs.

The RMA show, held at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Vegas, drew a slew of celebs to celebrate radio's contribution to the music industry.

The Los Angeles Times reports that -- in a sign of just how rapidly the media landscape is changing -- for the first time the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will recognize excellence in entertainment programming created for viewing online, or via cellphone or Ipod.

Today's announcement will be the first time that content created for new platforms will be recognized with the traditional television award.

Arriving right on the heels of last week's Billboard Music Awards, this latest show celebrates radio's contributions to the music industry. As most people in the business know, any hit has to break on radio in order to make it big. In our post-modern world of multimedia distribution platforms, radio has mantained its importance. If your single can't crack radio, your song doesn't matter.

Mariah Carey was the night's big winner with three awards.

Check out TMZ's great rehearsal footage of Lifehouse, Keith Urban and Gavin DeGraw performing for tonight's festivities.

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Radio Music Awards Rehersals

In the Best Picture race, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the early frontrunner is Steven Spielberg's new drama 'Munich.' Their source is John Avello, director of race sports operations at the Wynn Las Vegas. Avello also picks Philip Seymour Hoffman's 'Capote' to edge out Joaquin Phoenix's Johnny Cash, and Reese Witherspoon to win for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in 'Walk the Line.'

Sportsbook.com now has 'Munich' running at 2-1 for Best Picture with earlier leader 'Cinderella Man' dropping back to 8-1. 'Brokeback Mountain' comes in at 10-1, tied with George Clooney's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' and Peter Jackson's remake of 'King Kong.'

Sportsbook.com goes on to list 'War of the Worlds' as a dark horse for the Oscar, running at a very generous 1000-1.

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Check out Oscar contender Joaquin Phoenix in a banned PETA ad

Orchestrated by Legends in Concert of Las Vegas, the ruse required some careful planning and an impeccable performance by Doug Brewin, the Jackson clone.

Arriving at the event in a yellow stretch Hummer, Brewin was met by a fake camera crew and fake autograph seekers, arranged by Legends in Concert. Within moments, however, a genuine throng of fans materialized. Award show staff quickly recognized whom they believed to be Alan Jackson and hustled him onto the red carpet. TMZ's own cameraman at the event confessed to being completely fooled.

Take a look at the prank and hear Legends in Concert President Jeffrey Victor describe just how his company punked everyone.

If they speak, they could be nominated. Spoken-word albums are most likely to produce an eclectic group of celebrity Grammy winners. Bill Clinton has two spoken-word Grammys; Hillary has one. Bill and Hillary were even nominated in the same year, although in different categories. Bill's most recent Grammy is for the 2004 spoken-word album of his memoir, 'My Life,' and he shares his other Grammy (the 2003 award for best spoken word album for children) with Sophia Loren and former Soviet Union chief Mikhail Gorbachev. Hillary won a Grammy for 1996's 'It Takes a Village.' She received a best spoken-word album nomination for her 2003 autobiography, 'Living History,' but lost to comedian/political commentator Al Franken.

Hosted by L.L. Cool J, the event aired live on FOX as it has since its inception 11 years ago.

Among the top nominees were 50 Cent with eight nominations, Mariah Carey with seven, and Green Day with six.

Billboard Awards are determined by album sales as measured by Nielsen SoundScan and radio data compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. So while there aren't typically many suprises as to who wins, anything can happen when you get this many rockers under one roof.

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Billboard After-Party 2005
Red carpet highlights of 2005