Awards / Awards Shows

Shocked, honored, humbled ... just a few of the words MMA star Kayla Harrison used to describe being nominated for the Best MMA Fighter, telling TMZ Sports simply being included with the other fighters is fantastic.

The 32-year-old, undefeated (14-0, 11 KO + Subs) PFL star was recently nominated for an ESPY Award ... alongside UFC stars Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira.

Usman, Volk and Oliveira have all dominated their respective division over the last year.

"I was initially shocked, and then ... honored, I think honored and humbled by it. Every one of those fighters is a Hall of Famer. They're legends, each in their own right. I'm a fan in each and every one of them, inside the cage, outside the cage. It was a big honor for me, huge honor," Harrison says.

And, you may have noticed Kayla is unique amongst the other nominees ... for more than one reason.

"It's awesome. To be the only female fighter nominated. To be the only non-UFC fighter nominated."

Kayla says even though her goal isn't to win awards, it's still nice to have hard work and success recognized by the fans.

"There are moments where in your career you question, does anyone understand? I'm working really hard, I'm trying really hard, I'm doing my best, I'm trying to get back, I'm trying to build a legacy, I'm trying to be dominant. I'm doing all this work."

Kayla says although it's not necessarily something based off "merit" -- you win by fans voting for you -- it's still nice to see people recognizing and appreciating all the hours of blood, sweat and tears.

Speaking of voting ... if you'd like to cast a virtual ballot Kayla, click here.

A bunch of other huge stars are also nominated for awards ... athletes like Steph Curry, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Judge are up for awards.

Jenifer Lewis says her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the biggest award of her illustrious career ... and she loves it so much, you'll be able to find her there every day.

We got the "The Mother of Black Hollywood" author and "Black-ish" star Friday as she was leaving her ceremony and asked what her fixture on the Walk of Fame means to her.

Jenifer tells us the star is way more important than a trophy for a show or performance, because it's forever lasting.

Jenifer's got great company on the WoF -- her star is parked right next to Katharine Hepburn -- and she jokingly says she's going to sleep next to it every night and drive by every day, telling folks not to step on her good name.

On a more serious note, Jenifer tells us she's overwhelmed with appreciation for the career milestone -- recalling all the work, on camera and off, that went into getting to this point ... including taking care of her bipolar disorder.

Her famous friends showed her serious love at the ceremony ... including Brandy, director Debbie Allen, 'SNL' alum Vanessa Bayer, composer Marc Shaiman and former "Amen" star Roz Ryan.

Megan Rapinoe's in Washington D.C. to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but while the soccer star's physically at the White House, it's clear her thoughts are very much with Brittney Griner in Russia.

Just hours after the Phoenix Mercury star pled guilty in a Moscow court, the Olympic gold medalist shared a photo of her outfit for Thursday's ceremony at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave ... and it features the WNBA star's initials stitched into the suit.

In addition to the "BG" ... there's also a flower stitched onto the lapel of the pearl-colored blazer.

"The most important part of today," the 37-year-old said.

Rapinoe is on her way to the White House where she'll be presented with the medal ... the highest honor a civilian can receive from the government.

President Biden -- who recently spoke with Griner's wife, Cherelle, about Brittney's imprisonment -- will present the medal to Rapinoe.

"The President called Cherelle," the White House said on Wednesday, "to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible."

President Biden just announced that Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and soccer star Megan Rapinoe will be receiving the nation's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Commander-in-chief made the announcement on Friday ... revealing the two superstar athletes are among 17 names to receive the prestigious award later this month.

The White House said these individuals reflect what America embodies -- hard work, perseverance, and faith.

Biles -- on top of being the greatest gymnast of all time -- has been an outspoken advocate for mental health and sexual assault victims since becoming a household name.

Rapinoe -- an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup winner -- has led the charge for the U.S. Women's National Team's fight for equal pay ... and is at the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice.

Other notable names chosen are Denzel Washington, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, John McCain (posthumous), and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (posthumous).

Of course, #46 knows a thing or two about the honor ... in fact, President Obama surprised his VP with the Presidential Medal for his years of public service.

The White House prides itself on giving the award to individuals who've excelled in public or private endeavors ... but also played a role in cultivating a better country for all.

Other athletes who have received the honor include Jerry West, Tiger Woods, Lou Holtz and Roger Staubach.

Diddy had a lot to celebrate following the 2022 BET Awards, but turned his celebration into work as well -- shooting a project with Mary J. Blige and Yung Miami.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video from inside the after party -- at Diddy's L.A. mansion -- where he appeared to be directing a music video ... most likely something for his upcoming R&B album on Motown Records.

You can even hear Mary singing over the smoothed-out track as Miami raps ... a fitting kick-off to the new Love Records movement.

The backdrop for the shoot looks mighty familiar -- reminiscent of one Diddy used for his iconic "Mo Money, Mo Problems" music vid.

At one point, Diddy told onlookers to refrain from filming as he was trying to get the set-ups correct with Miami's Quality Control manager Pierre “Pee” Thomas.

It wasn't all work, though -- it's a Diddy after-party, after all -- as Chris Brown, Tiffany Haddish, Wiz Khalifa, Tyga, Bobby Brown, Karrueche Tran and many others showed up at his crib for the festivities.

Earlier on Sunday, celebs packed into L.A.'s Microsoft Theater to see Diddy receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards.

If you saw Babyface and Chance The Rapper all buddy buddy at the BET Awards and thought ... "Hmm!! That's interesting" -- you're spot on, because it turns out that was more than just a photo-op, it was quite intentional.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop Chance and 'Face have been collaborating in the studio with hopes to use the record as part of Babyface’s upcoming project.

BF has written loads of hits with the likes of Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Bobby Brown and many, many more … and we hear he keeps up with all waves of music and genuinely took a liking to Chance. It's similar to how he and Ella Mai got together for their recent track, "Keep On Fallin" … which they performed Sunday at the BET Awards.

Kanye West popped up for a rare appearance ... this time at the 2022 BET Awards ... to pay tribute to his favorite artist -- Diddy.

Kanye made a surprise appearance Sunday night, at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater ... dressed head to toe in black.

Ye took the stage to honor Sean "Diddy" Combs, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Kanye gave a lengthy speech ... calling Diddy his favorite artist and talking about the impact he's had on his own life.

Kanye said, "I go to him for advice to this day. He inspires so many of my choices, so many of my life choices. My wife choices". He also let folks know he's taking a hiatus and wanted to "declare myself dead" .... but says, he wanted to make sure he was there for Diddy.

Of course, Kanye has mainly been off the grid, since April ... after pulling out of Coachella.

Moments after the intro from Kanye and Babyface, Diddy took the stage. He dedicated the moment to his ex, Kim Porter, who died back in 2018. He said, "I just want to say thank you to Kim."

It didn't take long for the Colorado Avalanche to leave their mark on the Stanley Cup -- and not in a good way -- 'cause the new NHL champions dented the iconic trophy just 5 minutes into their wild celebration!!

The Avs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to secure their third title in franchise history on Sunday ... beating the Bolts in a 2-1 contest.

The champs were rightfully pumped after securing the 'ship ... and star wing Nicolas Aubé-Kubel was a bit too pumped -- 'cause when it came time to take a group pic with Lord Stanley, the dude slipped up on the ice and dented the hardware in the process!!

The hilarious moment happened just minutes after the final buzzer ... so ya can't even blame booze for the mishap.

Either way, the players looked on in horror as the trophy made contact with the ice ... but the good news is it'll be fixed sometime in the future, according to the keeper of the cup, Phil Pritchard.

As for the rest of the celebration, it was insane -- the players danced and sang their asses off to "Dancing in the Moonlight" as champagne went flowing throughout the locker room ... all while preventing the Cup from getting additional damage.

The folks back home in Denver were getting lit as well -- setting off fireworks and having a ball to celebrate the huge win.

Apparently, the fans were fairly well behaved during the celebration as well ... 'cause the Denver Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports there was only one arrest made in relation to the partying due to "discharging fireworks."

The BET Awards are going off tonight, but what TV cameras can’t show you is how hyped the celebs are behind the scenes.

The audience is full of big names at the Microsoft Theater in LA Sunday night ... Lena Waithe, Cynthia Erivo, Billy Porter, Janelle Monáe, Ari Lennox, Ella Mai, and Lucky Daye -- to name a few!!!

Everyone from the front to the back had good vibes all night with Taraji P. Henson hosting ... and those A+ performances kept them on their feet.

Lizzo kicked the night off in all gold, performing one of her hits -- and you know it was "About Damn Time" for a flute solo.

Jack Harlow brought out Lil Wayne and Brandy for his debut performance ... this coming after the guy got in a little heat -- he recently admitted he wasn't aware of the impact she made in the R&B game.

Latto's W was one of the biggest of the night -- she took home the award for Best New Artist, and the crowd clearly had her support.

Rapper Shyne is jumping back into the music scene in a big way ... he's set to join a ton of artists at the BET Awards to honor one of the biggest names in the game.

The Belizean rapper-turned-politician is gearing up to take the stage for Sunday night's ceremony ... in recognition of Diddy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shyne's going to be performing one of his classics from 2000, "Bad Boyz" ... the guy hasn't done the song live much -- once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to witness.

Shyne's been getting into politics since laying down track after track in the industry ... he currently lives in Belize where he serves as Leader of the Opposition and the Ambassador of Music. He's also in Belize's House of Representatives.

Add Lil Wayne to the list of superstar rappers taking the stage for the 2022 BET Awards ... TMZ Hip Hop's learned he'll be performing Sunday.

Weezy F. Baby is a late addition to the award show's lineup, but you can expect nothing short of an uproar performance -- and it's a big treat for his fans after a few mishaps.

Wayne recently had to bow out of a couple of festival shows -- the Governor's Ball in NYC, and Strawberries & Cream Fest in the U.K.

But, now he'll bring his infinite bag of hits to the BET Awards.

The show will be live from the Microsoft Theater in L.A. ... where Taraji P. Henson will throw down as host, and Roddy Ricch, Jack Harlow, Lizzo, Chance the Rapper and many more will perform.

As for the actual trophies, Doja Cat leads all artists with 6 nominations ... followed by Drake and Ari Lennox, Kendrick Lamar and several others.

Noted hip hop historian Tom Brady is naming his champion in a crowded sea of 2022 album releases, and for him it's ... Pusha T’s 'It’s Almost Dry!'

During a literal promo run for his Brady Brand “Run” apparel line, TB12 used Pusha and Kanye’s 'IAD' collaboration “Dreaming of the Past” as he jokingly bragged about being the fastest QB in the NFL.

Pusha got wind of the drop ... retweeted and got TB12 to cosign that ‘IAD’ was indeed Album Of The Year. In their book at least, anyway.

Released in April on Good Music and Def Jam, the album split production duties between Ye and Pharrell and features from JAY-Z, Lil Uzi Vert and Kid Cudi … who said it was his last time pairing with Ye … but that’s another story.

Push recently performed cuts at Pharrell’s Something In The Water Festival and reunited with brother Malice of the Clipse and Justin Timberlake.

TB12’s the football GOAT and if his music tastes are influencing his playing … then it’s probably safe to trust his ears. Unless you're lining up against him on Sundays.

Utah Jazz superstar Rudy Gobert tells TMZ Sports that after a fourth NBA title ... Steph Curry is now entrenched in the conversation when it comes to greatest players of all-time.

"He's definitely in the very rarified air," Gobert said out at LAX just one day after Curry and the Warriors beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

"He's at the top of the list, for sure."

Curry had always been considered one of the game's GOATs -- he is, after all, the most prolific 3-point shooter ever -- but Gobert (a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year) clearly believes the win Thursday night moves him into whole 'nother legendary category.

"I'm happy for him," Gobert said. "I think he changed the game."

Rudy told us one of his favorite parts about the Warriors beating the Celtics was seeing the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, getting to hoist the trophy.

"It's inspiring," the 29-year-old said.

Jiri Prochazka made history Saturday night -- becoming the first Czech fighter to win a UFC championship -- and thousands of delirious fans showed up to greet the home country hero on Monday.

29-year-old Prochazka was losing his UFC 275 title fight with Glover Teixeira ... but somehow, someway managed to get the 42-year-old champ's neck and force the tap-out with 28 seconds left in the 5-round fight.

The win made Jiri the first Czech-born champ ... and when the newly crowned champ arrived back in his hometown in Brno, there was a huge crowd waiting to give him a hero's welcome!

What's more impressive ... this was only Prochazka's 3rd fight in the UFC. He previously beat Volkan Oezdemir (July 2020) and Dominick Reyes (May 2021).

But, he's been fighting MMA (and other combat forms) for a long time ... going back professionally to 2012. Jiri's overall record is 29-3.

Michael Jackson's children, Prince and Paris Jackson, honored him in a special way ... sharing kind words as they introduced a tribute performance of his Broadway musical at the Tony Awards.

The duo introduced a performance from "MJ the Musical" -- the Broadway show all about the making of Jackson's 1992 Dangerous World Tour.

Prince told the audience, "A lot of people seem to think our dad Michael Jackson changed popular music forever,' before adding: 'And, who are we to disagree?"

"But, what people may not know is he loved musicals, on film and on the stage. That's why we are so incredibly honored to introduce the night's first nominee for best musical, 'MJ', which, using many of his iconic hits, looks at the complexities and brilliance of our father's process."

Paris added, it was a great honor to be on stage introducing the musical performance,  along with actor Myles Frost, who plays their dad ... and the rest of the cast. The show was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Jennifer Hudson is in rare company today after winning a Tony award, she's joined some huge celebs who've won 4 major entertainment awards ... aka the EGOT.

The Jennifer-produced musical "A Strange Loop" took home the trophy for Best Musical during Sunday night's 75th Annual Tony Awards ... giving her the final piece of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony pie.

Jennifer had previously nabbed 2 Grammy Awards, one for Best R&B Album in 2009 album and another in 2017 for Best Musical Theater Album for The Color Purple.

She won her Oscar in 2006 for Best Supporting Actress in "Dreamgirls" ... and a Daytime Emmy for producing the VR-animated film "Baby Yaga."

Jennifer is going down in history as the 17th person to get all 4 awards ... and she's the 3rd youngest ever to get it done, behind John Legend and composer Robert Lopez.

The former "American Idol" star's musical "A Strange Loop" follows a black, queer writer writing a musical about a black, queer writer writing a musical about a black, queer writer. Ya get the title now, right?

The meta-musical's been getting rave reviews since it launched off-Broadway in 2019.