Awards / Awards Shows

Rascal Flatts are admitting they badly lip synced at the Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night ... telling us it was only done because they didn't wanna let their fans down.

Rascal Flatts tells TMZ ... their lead singer Gary lost his voice last week after performing several shows -- so instead of cancelling the ACM gig at the last second ... they made the call to lip sync.

In case you missed it ... the group performed their new single "Rewind" and something seemed off. Fans were PISSED after the show because they had a hunch the singing wasn't legit.

The group adds, "We've never done it before, and we're obviously not very good at it."

A man who got shot at a BET Awards after party claims the club -- as well as Viacom and BET -- made a near fatal mistake with security ... and wants them to pay up for it.

Antwon Black claims in a new lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- he attended a party at Compound Nightclub in Atlanta on October 2, 2011 ... the official BET after party.

Black says the club messed up and allowed one of its frequent patrons past security without checking for weapons -- that patron ended up shooting Black in his left leg.

Black is suing the owners of the club, Viacom and BET for failing to keep the club safe.

That party does have a place in hip-hop history -- Diddy allegedly almost came to blows with someone because they were drinking something other than Diddy's Ciroc vodka. T.I. had to take to the mic to calm Diddy down.

Jennette McCurdy's beef with Nickelodeon is strictly about the almighty dollar ... and how she makes less than her "Sam & Cat" co-star Ariana Grande ... TMZ has learned.

McCurdy was a no-show at the Kids' Choice Awards over the weekend, and took to Twitter to air her grievances, writing, "I was put in an uncomfortable, compromising, unfair situation (many of you have guessed what it is) and I had to look out for me. I chose to not go because sticking up for what is right and what is fair is what my mom taught me is ALWAYS the most important thing."

McCurdy was quick to explain she was talking about Nickelodeon and NOT her racy photo scandal.

Our sources say the source of McCurdy's dissatisfaction is rooted in her paycheck. We're told the pint-sized star is pissed that Grande makes WAY MORE money than her and she's been trying to renegotiate her deal ... so far to no avail.

The show is one of the most popular on the network, but production has been halted and so far a second season has yet to be ordered.

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell came thiiiiiis close to squashing their longstanding beef at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards -- Kel totally thought it was happening ... and then it didn't.

We caught up with Kel in Sherman Oaks Monday, and he told our camera guy he was under the impression during their segment Sunday night ... Kenan would give him a shout out.

For everyone above the age of 12 who missed it -- Nickelodeon gave one of the executive producers of "Kenan & Kel" a Lifetime Achievement award, and Thompson sent in a recorded speech where he never acknowledged working with Kel.

Sources close to Kenan say it wasn't meant to be a diss ... producers didn't tell him to mention Kel until after the piece had been filmed and he was too busy for a re-shoot.

Kel says he's not mad -- and even offers one final plea to Kenan in regard to a reunion.

Justin Bieber won a Juno Award Sunday night ... and surprisingly, most of the Canadians in the building booed the ever living crap out of him.

Biebs won the "Fan Choice" award ... but clearly the audience in attendance didn't agree -- and when his name is called the place erupts in boos.

Lucky for Justin, he didn't go to the show ... and Canada's Olympic curling team accepted on his behalf.

Later in the night, a Canadian singer named Serena Ryder defended J.B. after winning an award ... but the damage had already been done.

Andrew Garfield is blaming Oscars producers for devastating 5-year-old Batkid -- whose surprise Academy Awards appearance with the "Spider-Man" star was 86d at the last minute -- insisting he's not the one who bailed on the boy.

There are reports Garfield threw a tantrum when producers rejected the script he wrote for the presentation -- and left 5-year-old Miles Scott high and dry -- but reps for the actor tell us, it's not true.

The reps say Garfield DID contribute to the presentation script, but he had nothing to do with the segment getting yanked from the broadcast.

They say Garfield and Scott did the dress rehearsal Saturday without a hitch -- it was a real tearjerker too -- but hours later, Garfield was informed via email that the piece didn't fit with the tone of the show ... and therefore had to be cut.

Robert Lopez struck a pose that said ... "SUCK IT" ... right after his Oscar win put him in an exclusive club with the likes of Mel Brooks and Whoopi Goldberg.

Gotta love the bravado ... Lopez flashed his big swinging statuette to reporters and photogs backstage shortly after he and his wife won the Oscar for Original Song for "Let It Go" from "Frozen."

Robert's got reason to brag ... he's now one of 12 people to ever earn the elusive EGOT -- winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony -- and he did it in 10 years ... way faster than anyone else.

Crack-smoking enthusiast and Toronto mayor Rob Ford actually believes he stands a chance at re-election this fall -- in fact, he claims he's given up his partying ways ONCE AND FOR ALL ... to focus on politics.

Shortly before his train wreck "Jimmy Kimmel" interview Monday, Ford spoke to fans outside his Hollywood hotel -- saying his party days are done.

Liza Minnelli didn't like the joke Ellen DeGeneres cracked about her at the Oscars ... suggesting she was actually a drag queen.

Liza and a male companion hit up Craig's restaurant in West Hollywood Monday night ... and Liza made it clear -- Ellen's joke backfired big time.

Liza's note to Ellen: She should have stopped and acknowledged they were friends, but instead Ellen blew through to the next joke, so it sounded mean.

But Liza says she's sure Ellen was filled with the best of intentions.

Ellen DeGeneres does NOT own the picture that broke Twitter ... unless he signed his rights away, the owner of the famous Oscar pic is BRADLEY COOPER.

Here's the way it works ... the person who owns the now-famous photo is the person who actually took it ... NOT the person who owns the camera or organized the shoot.

Cooper was the snapper ... so it's his.

And even if Ellen signed her rights over to the Academy when she signed her hosting gig, the Academy would have no rights to the photo, because Ellen can't transfer what isn't hers.

So unless Bradley signed his rights away to the Academy, he's the copyright owner. Any use of the pic without his permission is a violation of the copyright.

He seemed down with tweeting it out, so Ellen is cool. But any use of the pic on TV shows -- including hers -- would only be kosher with Bradley's blessing. And he'd own the rights to any reproduction.

It all translates into cash. It could come in handy if that "Hangover" money runs out.

Toronto's crack-smoking Mayor Rob Ford is never done campaigning -- not only did he throw down big money to party with hot chicks in Hollywood after the Oscars last night ... he actually handed out Ford-themed commemorative magnets to his female admirers.

Actress/socialite Meredith Thomas tells TMZ, she and a friend ran into Ford at the post-Oscars bash at the W Hollywood -- where they found him chilling in his own private cabana by the pool.

Thomas says she asked Ford for a photo and he obliged -- then handed her and her friend a Rob Ford Mayor magnet and a business card. Thomas says Rob asked her to stick around, but she declined.

As for Ford's poolside cabana -- it didn't come cheap. We're told the average price for cabanas Sunday night was $2,500 a pop, including booze.

Magnets attract ... but they also repel.

As you may recall ... JLaw pulled off an epic photobomb on Taylor Swift during the Golden Globes this year(photo below.)

Anne Hathaway -- or her wax figure (we're still not sure) -- seems to be amused ... or, maybe she's annoyed ... hard to tell.

Congrats Jared!

Justin Bieber just can't quit Selena Gomez ... he lustfully posted pics of his ex-GF at an Oscar party ... even though he's 2000 miles away in Atlanta

The pic shows Gomez at the Vanity Fair party last night in West Hollywood -- where she showed up in a gold, beaded Pucci gown -- with the caption, "Most elegant princess in the world."

Could be Justin's just jonesing for his old life in L.A. -- which once included Selena?

The feeling may not be mutual ... Gomez -- who went to rehab in Jan. partly over her Bieber addiction -- has kept her distance from Justin and his new crew.

Big Mama's & Papa's pizza joint was actually the big winner at the Oscars -- it got more than $10 million in publicity and didn't have to pay a penny -- in fact, they actually got paid.

A single spot on the telecast ran for around $1.8 million ... according to Variety. We timed it out ... Ellen spent 2 minutes passing out the 3 pies and another minute collecting the cash. That's $10.8 mil.

Big Mama's & Papa's actually collected around $75 for the 3 pizzas, so it may be the best ad deal in the history of TV.

By the way ... the cost of buying the spot doesn't take into account the cost of producing it -- which is generally a fortune.

Never underestimate those pizza folk.

It's a modern day good vs. evil.

Here's a saintly looking 41-year-old Sofia Vergara posing in a couture toga party inspired gown (left) with a sinfully lacy 28-year-old Irina Shayk (right) at an Oscars after party last night.