Awards / Awards Shows

Tiffany Haddish says she turned down an offer to host a Grammys pre-show -- and it's all because the org was trying to make her foot the bill ... for everything.

The comedic actor says she was offered the hosting gig for the Recording Academy's 3-hour pre-telecast ahead of the main show in January, but when she was told she wouldn't get paid ... it gave her pause. Then she was told everything else would come out of her own pocket as well -- including hair, makeup and wardrobe costs -- so Tiff told them to kick rocks.

She tells Variety, "I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful." Tiffany is, in fact, up for a Grammy this year for her Netflix comedy special, 'Black Mitzvah' ... she was nominated last year too for a spoken word project.

The Recording Academy tells Variety that because the pre-telecast isn't put on by CBS but, rather, themselves (a non-profit), they say it's normal for the hosting job to be pro-bono -- and apparently has been for a while. They also said Tiff's decision would have no bearing on any future nominations whatsoever.

That still didn't stop TH from openly criticizing them though -- she says, "How many other people have they done that to? It’s like a guy asking you on a date but telling you that you have to pay for it."

This is just the latest controversy to dog the Grammys this year ... coming a couple weeks after The Weeknd's outrage at being snubbed, and his allegations there were shady politics behind it.

Spike Lee praised Darnella Frazier -- the teen who captured George Floyd's death on video, sparking worldwide protests -- while presenting her with an award for courage.

The famed director said he was "proud of my sister" in presenting Frazier with the 2020 PEN/Benenson Freedom of Expression Courage Award during Tuesday night's PEN America Virtual Gala. Spike made note of what everyone's been saying about Frazer ... her courage to stand there for more than 10 minutes to record every minute of George's last dying breath reverberated around the world.

For her part ... Frazer said everything that transpired after posting the video on social media has been a lot to take in and NOTHING she would have ever imagined. She also said she felt honored about Spike presenting the award.

The org noted Frazer didn't set out to change the world on May 25 ... just another teenager looking out for her young cousin heading to a nearby store when she saw Floyd's encounter with cops ... including ex-cop Derek Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd's neck.

As we reported ... Darnella's bravery didn't come without her facing her own consequences in the aftermath of her video. Her family told us they sought therapy to help Darnella cope with the emotional trauma.

Ken Jennings -- the greatest "Jeopardy!" contestant of all time -- is being honored at the school he credits for helping him possibly become the trivia champion of all time.

Seoul Foreign School in South Korea has named Jennings its 2020 Alumnus of the Year, and he'll deliver the commencement speech in June to the graduating class of 2021.

The school says this is the highest honor it bestows upon alumni, and it recognizes the recipient's "excellence in their chosen field of endeavor and outstanding service to the community or profession, as well as devotion to SFS."

So, the obvious question ... South Korea??? That's correct. Jennings moved there with his parents at age 7 due to their jobs, and he attended SFS from grades 2-12 until he was 17 ... graduating high school in 1992.

Jennings says ... "It's hard to overstate how my eleven years at SFS shaped me as a person, and continues to loom in my psyche." He adds ... "I couldn't feel more honored by this award, given my fond memories of Seoul Foreign."

Ken's also said many times his time in S. Korea led to his desire to learn as much as possible about America and the world ... and his obsession with "Jeopardy!" He watched almost daily with friends after school on the one channel he got.

The rest, as they say, is history. Jennings won a record 74 games in a row on the game show in 2004, and in early 2020 ... he was crowned 'The Greatest of All Time' in a tournament with the other 2 most successful contestants ever -- Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer.

Of course, one can't mention Jennings without thinking of the late, great Alex Trebek, who died November 8 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Ken was one of his biggest fans and is set to guest host "Jeopardy!" after Alex's final episode airs Xmas Day.

Ex-college football coach Lou Holtz will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, the White House announced.

The award is recognized as the "Nation's highest civilian honor," according to the White House ... usually given to someone who has "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public endeavors."

So, why Lou? Here's what Trump's team is saying ...

"America recognizes Lou Holtz as one of the greatest football coaches of all time for his unmatched accomplishments on the gridiron, but he is also a philanthropist, author and true American patriot."

83-year-old Holtz is most well known for leading Notre Dame to a 12-0 record in 1988 -- when the Fighting Irish were crowned national champions.

His career record as a college football coach is 249-132-7 -- with 22 bowl appearances (he won 12 of them).

Outside of football, Holtz has been a staunch Trump supporter who campaigned for POTUS ... and even spoke at the Republican National Convention.

In fact, it was at the RNC when Holtz attacked Trump's opponent Joe Biden over his position on abortion -- saying the former Vice President is a "Catholic in name only."

During his presidency, Trump has given the M.O.F. to several sports legends -- including Tiger Woods, Jerry West and Roger Staubach.

Tichina Arnold believes there's a real catch-22 with the Grammys right now ... and it may signal the end of the music industry's biggest award having any real significance.

Fresh off co-hosting the 2020 Soul Train Awards, Tichina joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to address the fallout of some big-name artists -- most notably The Weeknd -- getting snubbed for Grammy nominations last week. She says the major problem is talented artists, whose music is popular, are often a total blind spot for the people in charge of choosing noms.

The Soul Train Awards honored several acts -- like Chris Brown, H.E.R. and Summer Walker -- overlooked for the Grammys' major awards this year ... and Tichina says artists are not only noticing it, but they're fed up.

Halsey, Drake, Elton John and The Weeknd himself have all openly suggested there's a disconnect between the music and most award shows.

"GUARANTEEEEEED!!!!"

LaVar Ball says there's NO DOUBT in his mind his son, LaMelo, will receive the highest honors of his draft class ... telling TMZ Sports the #3 overall pick is a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award.

We spoke with Papa Ball at his family's Thanksgiving giveaway in South Central L.A. on Tuesday ... and in pure LaVar fashion, he made another bold prediction.

"Teaming up with Michael Jordan and you can't get rookie of the year?? Are you crazy?!," LaVar tells us.

It may not be as farfetched as LaVar's predictions in the past -- Melo can straight-up BALL and was once considered a favorite to go #1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Of course, LaMelo ended up with the Charlotte Hornets ... and LaVar is expecting big things when his son teams up with the GOAT.

Don't get too comfy, Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb ...

New Jaguars star James Robinson tells TMZ Sports he has just as much claim to the Rookie of the Year honors as anybody in the NFL ... saying, "I mean, I know that I am having a pretty good year."

JR came out of nowhere to dominate the touches in Jacksonville's backfield ... and he's been THRIVING since head coach Doug Marrone handed him the keys to the starting RB role.

The undrafted tailback out of Illinois State is 3rd in the league with 762 rushing yards ... and he's also got 5 rushing TDs and 249 receiving yards.

And, 22-year-old Robinson says he feels that should be plenty to get him some consideration for the NFL's most coveted award for rookies.

"I mean, I hope I am in that conversation," Robinson says.

Don't get it twisted ... Robinson has bigger goals than just the individual award -- telling us, "I try not to really pay attention to any of that."

As for Robinson's improbable road to success ... he credits the chip on his shoulder for motivating him to go from an unheralded, undrafted free agent back to one of the league's brightest young stars.

Drake almost finds humor in the Grammys which inexplicably snubbed The Weeknd, essentially saying those little trophies really don't mean crap.

Drake said Wednesday night, "I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after."

And, then the zinger ... "It's like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just can't change their ways."

The Weeknd's Grammys snub had nothing to do with him playing the Super Bowl ... at least according to the Recording Academy Chief.

Harvey Mason Jr. -- interim President and CEO of the Academy -- says, "We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent."

He adds, the Grammys had no issue with him performing at the Super Bowl and would have loved to have him also perform for the awards show. TMZ broke the story ... negotiations for The Weeknd's Grammy performance got nasty, and our sources say he was issued an ultimatum -- play for us or the Super Bowl.

As for Weeknd receiving zero nominations -- Mason claims there was nothing nefarious to it. He says, "To be clear, voting in all categories ended well before The Weeknd’s performance at the Super Bowl was announced, so in no way could it have affected the nomination process."

As we reported ... it was revealed The Weeknd would be doing the SB Halftime Show on Nov. 12. The Grammys point out its voting deadline for noms was in October. Mason is adamant nobody was upset about the prospect of the singer performing at both events ... because the Grammys happens first.

Mason also says he's "saddened" over The Weeknd and his team saying "The Grammys remain corrupt." He says ... "I try to empathize with where that came from, but it was difficult to hear."

Despite the apparent damage control, it appears this controversy's not going away anytime soon. The Weeknd's manager, Sal Slaiby, also slammed "corrupt leaders" at the Grammys and demanded transparency.

The Grammys are going to look very different next year, and not just because of the pandemic ... Kanye's making a big move and Alex Trebek's in the fold.

Nominations for the 2021 Grammys are out, and there's lots of interesting changes to digest. Trevor Noah's hosting and he might have some fun with this -- Kanye is now officially considered a Christian artist.

Yeezy's "Jesus Is King" is up for best contemporary Christian music album ... it's the next stage in Kanye's transformation, which traces roots back to his Sunday Service.

Trebek's also got a shot at posthumous glory ... the late "Jeopardy!" host and TV icon's audiobook is nominated for best spoken word album. Ken Jennings helped Alex narrate the memoir, and would accept the award if the 'Jeopardy' duo wins.

One celeb who won't be taking home any hardware -- The Weeknd. He's shockingly snubbed even though his single, "Blinding Lights," topped the charts and his album, "After Hours," rose to #1.

Guess The Weeknd will have to settle for performing the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys.

Taylor Swift's ongoing beef with Scooter Braun over the sale of her masters was front-and-center at the AMAs -- and so were a whole lot of other memorable moments.

The pop star won the award for Artist of the Year Sunday night at the half-virtual/half-live event at the Microsoft Theater in L.A. ... and T-Swift accepted from a recording studio and dropped big news.

In addition to thanking fans for their support over the years, especially in 2020, Taylor noted she wasn't in L.A. for the AMAs -- like some artists were -- because she's busy re-recording her old hits.

Of course, it's just another reminder that she's sticking to her word amid the bitter feud with Scooter -- whom she claims wouldn't even entertain selling her back her masters without her signing an NDA first promising not to bash him in public.

She didn't mention Scooter's name Sunday night, but the shot was clear.

Anyway, there were other cool moments that struck a chord too -- such as The Weeknd's bruising performance above the L.A. River. He never referenced his full-face bandages, but seems like a spinoff from that nose bandage look from last year.

J Lo also had a bootylicious showstopper with Maluma ... Harry Styles and BTS took home some honors, and Megan Fox presenting her BF, MGK, live on camera. It was a lot to take in, to say the least.

Bad Bunny fans now know why he didn't perform at the American Music Awards ... he's got the 'Rona.

The reggaeton superstar was originally scheduled to perform Sunday night at the AMAs, but he was MIA ... and fans started speculating COVID-19 may have been the reason why. Their suspicions were confirmed Monday by Bad Bunny's people.

There's never a good time to catch the coronavirus, but this was particularly bad for Bad Bunny -- he was supposed to perform "Dakiti" -- his #1 hit with Jhay Cortez -- for the first time.

It wasn't all bad news for Bad Bunny. He still did part of the show virtually from his L.A. crib -- as he announced the winner for Favorite Female Artist in the Latin category, which went to Becky G.

Paul Hornung -- a man Vince Lombardi once deemed maybe "the best all-around back ever to play football" -- has died, the Pro Football Hall of Fame just announced.

He was 84 years old.

Hornung had battled dementia for years, according to the Louisville Sports Commission, and passed away in Kentucky on Friday.

Paul is one of the most legendary football players EVER -- the guy is the only person on earth to win a Heisman Trophy, an NFL MVP award, be selected first overall in the NFL draft, AND be inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hornung first made a name for himself at Notre Dame in the '50s ... where he was nicknamed "The Golden Boy" for his blonde hair and incredible game.

He was the team's star quarterback --- and ultimately won the Heisman Trophy in 1956.

Hornung went on to play for the Green Bay Packers and Lombardi ... and he was a superstar there as well -- winning the NFL's first-ever Super Bowl in 1967 and four other league championships prior to that.

Hornung was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 ... and later, college football named its award for the most versatile player in the game after him.

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Paul Hornung," Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said in a statement "He was an outstanding player and an incredible man."

Colin Kaepernick has been selected for the University of Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame, the school announced.

Kaepernick played for the Wolf Pack from 2006 to 2010 -- racking up more than 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards during his college career.

He was also named was Offensive Player of the Year TWICE -- once in 2008 and again in 2010.

Kaepernick famously led the Wolf Pack to a 13-1 season in 2010 -- winning a WAC conference championship. The team also won the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and finished as the #11 ranked team in the country on the AP poll.

Kaepernick will be inducted with 2 of his teammates -- running back Vai Taua and defensive end Dontay Moch.

"The 2020 Hall of Fame class represents some of the best of the best in Wolf Pack history," Nevada AD Doug Knuth said.

"This is an incredible collection of accomplished student-athletes and we can't wait for the opportunity to welcome them back to campus and celebrate their careers."

There's just one snag ... the school says there will be no official induction dinner held in the fall due to COVID-19.

School officials are hopeful to hold a celebration to honor Kap and company in the future.

Turns out Jennifer Aniston is a boss with a fire extinguisher, lucky for Jimmy Kimmel ... as their dumpster fire bit at the Emmys, inadvertently, turned into a recreation of 2020.

The fire gag went down early in Sunday's live broadcast of the Emmys from Staples Center ... Jennifer was the night's first awards presenter. The fiery joke showed them first cleaning any potential coronavirus off the envelope ... by spraying it with Lysol and lighting it on fire, naturally.

Thing is ... the envelope wouldn't stop burning!!! Jimmy and Jen looked shocked, and she had to blast the extinguisher 5 times before the fire finally went out.

It all played like a metaphor for the massive wildfires currently burning in California and Oregon. Hell, you could even extend that metaphor to all of 2020 -- COVID-19, racism, social injustice, politics, hurricanes, etc ...

Ya get the point ... someone please extinguish this year.

Even though it was the Emmys, television wasn't the most important thing on the minds of some of the winners Sunday night ... and they made that very clear.

Regina King -- who won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie for her starring role as Angela Abar in HBO’s "Watchmen" -- used her victory speech time to remind everyone to say the name, Breonna Taylor.

Regina reminded everyone after her win ... the police officers who killed Breonna have still not been held accountable, and she felt the call to honor her. She says Taylor represents centuries of violence against Black people.

Uzo Aduba -- who won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for playing Shirley Chisholm on "Mrs. America" -- also honored Breonna by wearing a shirt bearing her name.

Finally, there was "Succession," which beat out some serious competition to win Best Drama Series.

The HBO show's British creator, Jesse Armstrong, decided to deliver a series of un-thank-yous since he couldn't be with the rest of the cast and crew to celebrate ... and sounded off on President Trump and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Armstong said ... "Un-thank you to the virus for keeping us all apart this year. Un-thank you to Trump for his crummy and uncoordinated response, un-thank you to Boris Johnson and his government for doing the same in my country."