Awards / Awards Shows

It was mostly love at the BET Awards Sunday night ... mostly.

Aside from a few fights, everyone got along swimmingly at the Microsoft Theater in L.A. Among those front and center ... French Montana, Diddy, Gucci Mane, Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled and Migos.

The pics were snapped backstage during the big performances and awards ceremony.

Check out the duds and the bling ... and the hot chicks, of course.

The BET Awards will pay tribute to Prodigy, but it won't be a major spectacle -- instead, his rap partner Havoc and Lil Kim will do the honors on their own.

Sources involved with the production tell us Kim and Havoc were late adds to the show as presenters. They will also share some personal words, paying respects to the Mobb Deep rapper.

We're told BET Awards execs scrambled to put together a tribute performance after Prodigy's death Tuesday, but it was too late. Artitsts had already signed contracts to perform at the awards, and BET didn't want to burn bridges by changing their sets, which have been planned for weeks.

Celine Dion's dressing room at the Billboard Music Awards was virtually a revolving door of star power ... celebs simply couldn't get enough.

Sources close to the award show tell TMZ Celine had MANY famous visitors throughout Sunday night's BBMAs -- and some couldn't even snag a little face time with the Queen.

We're told artists like Drake, Desiigner, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and Vanessa Hudgens all stopped by to pay their respects to Celine, but mostly to gush about how much they loved her. Vanessa even shed tears over her performance, and Drizzy suggested getting her tatted on his ribs.

The one celeb left out was Jason Derulo. We're told he waited in her dressing room for 45 minutes while Celine was doing press, and passed the time chatting with her son, Rene Charles. Fortunately, he finally got to meet her.

Cher took home the "Icon" award at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards -- and to the surprise of viewers and show execs -- she didn't mention President Trump.

TMZ broke the story, award show producers went into Sunday holding their breath for what the singer -- who's been extremely critical of Trump -- may say during her acceptance speech. Lucky for ABC ... Cher held back on any vulgarity or any Trump remarks at all.

The 71-year-old took the stage to perform "Believe" and "If I Could Turn Back Time" before accepting the award from Gwen Stefani. Her speech was short and simple ... thanking friends, family and those who helped her in the industry.

Chaz Bono was also there to see mom accept the award.

Cher can't resist going after Donald Trump Meryl Streep-style, at least that's the worry of Billboard Award honchos who worry her acceptance speech could become super vulgar.

Sources tell TMZ ... they're dealing with what they believe is the inevitable -- Cher hates Donald Trump with a passion and will go on the attack Sunday night when she receives the Icon Award.

Here's the dilemma ... show execs don't want to cut Cher's mic, because it will look like censorship and possibly even a pro-Trump move. It could also piss off the anti-Trump audience.

The flip side ... if Cher unleashes her considerable vocabulary of forbidden words, ABC could be in hot water with the FCC.

"Moonlight" star Jharrel Jerome says he and his costar, Ashton Sanders, didn't smooch after their Best Kiss win at the MTV Movie Awards because he's not the character he portrayed.

We got Jharrel at LAX Monday on the heels of his big win where he told us his victory proves things are headed in the right direction when it comes to LGBT issues since they won by majority vote.

BTW ... lots of actor have passed on recreating their movie kiss. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal won the same award in 2006 for "Brokeback Mountain," but Gyllenhaal accepted solo. And Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson won the award 4 years in a row for the "Twilight" flicks and never smooched.

Jharrel says the movie kiss was so powerful ... it should stand alone.

Hell yeah, Tamar Braxon's going onstage and celebrating if "The Real" ends up winning a Daytime Emmy Sunday night ... even though the show fired her last year.

Tamar -- on an upcoming appearance on "Home & Family" -- was undaunted by her pink slip, insisting she's not only going to the ceremony ... if the show wins, she'll go onstage to get what's hers.

The singer was a co-host from 2013 to 2016 before she was given the boot.

In case you're wondering ... "The Real" has stiff competition for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Hosts ... with "Live with Kelly" and "The View" among the nominees.

'The Last Jedi' trailer should do more than pump you up for the movie -- 'Star Wars' faithful should also get ready for the Oscars ... or at least that's the way Kevin Smith sees it.

Superfan Kev was still amped about the trailer debut when we saw him Friday in Bev Hills. He gave us a 30 second review, and then moved on to even bigger matters: Mark Hamill and the elusive little gold dude.

Our guy suggests Luke might finally get the Academy's attention with this flick, and it sounds like Kevin's on board.

Fun fact: The only 'Star Wars' acting Oscar nom was Best Supporting for Sir Alec Guinness in the first flick. Obi-Wan Kenobi ... he really was the "only hope."

Joel Embiid seems pretty confident he'll lock up NBA Rookie of the Year -- telling TMZ Sports he's got a pretty good shot of taking the award over guys like Dario Saric and Malcolm Brogdon.

Of course, Embiid had a stellar first 31 games, before an injury ended his season. But the way Saric and Malcolm played this season ... it might be close.

But on the way out of Catch in L.A., the Philadelphia 76ers star told us straight-up, "I have a pretty good chance of getting it."

Ice Cube thinks Tupac Shakur would be down with his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Friday night, but it sounds like he thinks a more meaningful award would be from the so far non-existent Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.

Pac was pretty anti-establishment before he died, but he did show face at some award shows in the '90s. Cube, who was inducted last year with N.W.A., seems to think Pac would view it as an honor.

As for Dr. Dre and Snoop doing the honors and swearing Pac in ... Cube had an opinion on that too.

11:33 AM PST -- We have just been contacted by reps for Journey, who say the band knows nothing about Perry performing and Perry's own reps know nothing about it as well. Several sources who work with Friday night's production say they have been told Perry will perform, but top officials at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame say they have no knowledge of it. The 3 songs have already been blocked for the show.

Journey's rep Larry Solters tells TMZ, "We have just spoken with Steve Perry's manager and he confirmed to us that he will NOT be performing tonight."

One source says, "The wild card is if Perry just decides to sing when he gets onstage."

Steve Perry will give Journey fans a performance the way they want and need tonight ... we've learned he will sing with the band at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.

Members of Journey already confirmed Perry would be onstage with them during their induction in Brooklyn on Friday night ... but until now we didn't know if he'd showcase his famous pipes.

Steve's been on a solo journey without Journey since 1987, and the band currently features Arnel Pineda on vox. We're told they will perform 3 songs at the Barclays Center in Brookyn -- "Lights," "Separate Ways" and "Don't Stop Believin'." Steve will perform at least one of the songs.

Tupac Shakur's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame next month will be a mini Death Row Records reunion because Snoop Dogg's leading the tribute, and we're told Dr. Dre's on the wish list too.

We're told Snoop jumped at the chance to lead a group of West Coast rappers in paying tribute to Pac. We're told Dr. Dre's been asked to join the ceremony as well.

Our sources say the plan is for the performance to feature a mix of at least 3 songs performed by Snoop -- and "California Love" is definitely on the setlist.

This year's ceremony takes place April 7 at the Barclays Center.

The teenager Casey Affleck watched over in this year's Oscar-nominated "Manchester by the Sea" had 2 girlfriends in the film ... but uncertain if that translates to real life.

We got Lucas Hedges -- who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor -- who tells our photog he can't really measure his love life in the wake of his hit movie quite yet. Something about how he's not a normal 20-year-old anymore ... whodathunkit?

He also speaks to the controversy over Casey winning Best Actor, despite being accused of sexual harassment by 2 women a few years ago. Sounds like Lucas has his back.

The Oscars fallout is getting scary for the PricewaterhouseCoopers employees responsible for the Best Picture debacle -- they're in such fear for their lives, their bosses have hired security to protect them.

Sources connected to the firm tell TMZ ... PWC decided bodyguards were necessary for Brian Cullinan, Martha Ruiz and their families because of death threats they've received after their role in fumbling the Best Picture and Best Actress envelopes.

Some of the social media threats included, "You f****** idiot, i will f*** you every day" ... and "I hope you get fired and get cancer."

We're told PWC felt pictures that surfaced online of Ruiz and Cullinan's homes made it clear something had to be done to watch their backs.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers employees who were responsible for the biggest Academy Awards flub of all time won't make the mistake again ... because they've been booted from working future Oscars.

The film academy president says Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz have been permanently relieved of their duties of handing out the award envelopes. As we reported ... Brian was the guy who handed Warren Beatty the wrong envelope for Best Picture, possibly because he was distracted while tweeting like crazy.

Sources close to PWC tell us ... Brian and Martha are still keeping their jobs with the firm, and won't face any further punishment. We're told Brian and Martha are devastated over the screwup, but call it an "honest mistake."

Our sources also say Brian's use of social media was approved and actually encouraged by the Academy.

This is the guy who we're told is responsible for the biggest screwup in Oscar history ... the guy who handed Warren Beatty the wrong envelope.

His name -- Brian Cullinan -- an accountant at Pricewaterhouse. He's a veteran ... 30 years at the accounting firm.

Here's the thing ... Brian was supposed to discard the spare Best Actress envelope and hand Warren Best Picture.

As for why ... we know this. Brian was tweeting like crazy during the ceremony, posting photos ... so he may have been distracted. Brian has since deleted the tweets, but one was a pic of Emma Stone with her Oscar. If it was tweeted right after her win, that's exactly when Brian should've been prepping for the next category ... Best Picture.

No word on whether discipline is in store.

We're told the firm is issuing an apology to all concerned.