Emmy Awards

Murray Bartlett is going up against his own guys at the Emmys this year -- and while you might think he'd be a little competitive ... the guy's just here for a good time.

We got the Aussie actor -- who's the lead star of HBO's hit limited series, "White Lotus" -- just as he was arriving in L.A. for Monday's television award show ... and our walk-and-talk interview with him is absolutely awesome.

Check it out ... MB is radiating pure joy as he leaves LAX with a baggage handler in tow -- telling us he's super excited to be nominated, even if it means fellow 'Lotus' actors beat him.

If you didn't know, Jake Lacy and Steve Zahn -- who also appears in "White Lotus" -- are nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series as well ... but Murray's just as happy for them as he is for himself. We tell him he's the favorite to win, and the dude is completely humble.

Murray tells us he and the rest of the cast are out to party it up and celebrate the show's success, regardless of who wins. Fact is, at least one of them is due to walk away with a statuette -- because the series was so popular ... and the performances were top-notch.

We also think we might've learned what Murry's secret to success is ... and it seems to come down to what he's munching on. The old adage is true, and then some!

Adele's simply looking to celebrate her big Emmy win ... but her fans think there's something much bigger to toast, because of something she posted ... something that makes them think she and Rich Paul have said: "I Do."

The singer was "pleased as punch" to be one step closer to EGOT status Monday, winning Outstanding Variety Special for her TV concert, "Adele: One Night Only" -- and one image of her shiny new statuette shows a personalized game box also on the table.

The box, holding what appears to be game tiles, reads "The Paul's." So, while Adele was happy about her big win, the comments section was obviously flooded with other questions -- with one straight up asking "is you married?!"

She has yet to respond to the noise, despite the post already getting over 2.7M likes ... but as you know, Adele and Rich have been going strong publicly for over a year now, after meeting a few years back.

She moved in with Rich in May ... and even responded to engagement rumors in an interview with ELLE UK last month -- saying she "might as well be married."

Eminem's been in the game so long, it's getting hard to recall some pretty epic moments ... and Shady's slim memory was on full display during a recent hang with Snoop Dogg.

The 2 legendary Super Bowl LVI performers were chilling in a studio to promote their recent collab “From The D 2 The LBC” … when Snoop brought up Eminem’s cameo in Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”

The single was famously written by Jay-Z, and the video directed by Hype Williams featured a pre-superstar Em chasing a flock of groupies. While that might sound like a precious memory to most of us … Em totally blanked.

It’s also one of the few rap videos with a billion views on YouTube …so, it’s a big deal!

Snoop kept trying to jog Em’s memory … and eventually, his brain did get up and running. Hey, considering the insane career run he's had since 1999 when the video was shot, it’s okay for him to have a few lapses every now and then.

Both Em and Snoop have been collaborating for years, and recently helped Dre cement their legacies with the Super Bowl halftime show performance in L.A.

Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak were there too and the performance earned five Primetime Emmy noms.

Their latest joint is locked in for Em’s “Curtain Call 2” -- his second greatest hits collection -- and he’s going with an arcade game theme for the project’s rollout.

Dave Chappelle getting an Emmy nomination for a stand-up special some call transphobic is emboldening the transgender community -- but not so much in the way you might think.

We spoke to Ashlee Marie Preston in L.A. to get her reaction to the comedian getting a Primetime Emmy nod for Netflix's "The Closer" -- which, as you know, was the subject of much controversy last year ... and even spurred Netflix employee walkouts in protest.

Preston -- who isn't a Netflix employee, but still helped organize the walkout -- tells us she and other members of the transgender and queer community have an action plan ... the details of which she's purposely keeping under wraps, but promises we'll see soon as a response.

Give the clip a watch ... it sounds like Ashlee and Co. are about to roll out a campaign or an announcement of sorts that advocates for LGBT-friendly content -- something she says the industry needs more of to help combat the POVs Dave expressed in "Closer," which she considers harmful.

Preston also tells us that instead of focusing on Chappelle ... she encourages anyone who supports their cause to turn their attention to Emmy nominees who help tell their story -- folks like Bowen Yang and others, who are also up for awards this year.

It's also interesting to hear Preston's approach this time around -- rather than being triggered and reacting in haste, she and her colleagues appear to be going about the response much more strategically.

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.

Actor Robert Morse, best known for his work on "Mad Men," has died.

Morse's death was confirmed Wednesday, though his cause of death is currently unknown.

The actor's work on "Mad Men," playing Bertram Cooper for 74 episodes, got him 5 Emmy nominations over its 8 years on the air. Bertram, or Bert, was one of the founding partners of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency, where the show takes place.

Always dressed with a bow tie, Bert reluctantly agreed to a merger with British agency Puttnam, Powell, and Lowe ... he would then go on to be a founding partner of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

The character would die the night after watching the televised Apollo 11 moon landing ... Bert appeared after his passing in one of Don Draper's visions, played by Jon Hamm.

The Tony and Emmy-award-winning actor left behind a career on both stage and screen, steadily working for 6 decades. He got his start on Broadway in the '60s with a production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" ... his performance snagged him a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.

He went on to win another best actor Tony award as Truman Capote in the 1990 play "Tru" ... for which he got an Emmy for Leading Actor in a Limited Series.

After "Mad Men," Morse came back to Broadway, working with Nathan Lane in the 2016 revival of "The Front Page."

Tributes have been pouring, including one from Larry Karaszewski, the VP on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who called Morse "a huge talent and a beautiful spirit."

Broadway composer David Krane also paid tribute, saying "He had those cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. Wishing that eternal boy eternal peace in his new forever home. He succeeded without really trying."

Morse is survived by his wife Elizabeth Roberts and his 4 children -- Charlie, Robin, Hilary, and Andrea.

He was 90.

Michael K. Williams' family is convinced a posthumous Oscar and Emmy is in the cards ... based on not-yet-released projects he starred in before his tragic passing.

Dominic Dupont, Michael's nephew, tells TMZ ... while the family's bummed Michael didn't win Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for "Lovecraft Country," they're hopeful a few upcoming projects could clinch him the coveted gold statues.

For starters, Dominic points to two upcoming films Michael starred in ... the Indi thriller "892" and Civil War-era drama "Surrounded." Dominic hasn't screened either film but believes the flicks give Michael a chance for an Oscar. As for why Dominic feels this way ... he says it's because Michael had the unparalleled ability to bring characters to life.

As for a future Emmy ... Dominic says his role in season 2 of the Vice TV docuseries "Black Market" could sway voters. Dominic, who traveled with Michael during the filming of "Black Market," says after 5 Emmy nominations ... everything teed up for an Emmy win next year.

Dominic says everyone at the Emmys was gracious to him and his wife ... and that they felt Michael's energy in the room. Dominic tells us Billy Porter and Jurnee Smollett greeted him and his family and expressed their sympathy ... while also making it clear they wanted Michael's legacy to live on.

We caught up with Dominic after the Emmys and he told us he was bummed his uncle didn't get an Emmy (it went to Tobias Menzies for his portrayal of Prince Phillip in "The Crown"), but he told us he very much appreciated Kerry Washington's gesture in honoring him onstage.

Seth Rogen's rant suggesting the Emmys broke COVID safety rules is misguided ... at least according to the L.A. County Department of Health, which is refuting some of his comments.

The Health Dept. tells TMZ ... yes, the current mandate in L.A. requires everyone to wear a mask indoors -- whether vaccinated or unvaccinated -- but it also says exceptions are made for film, TV and music productions.

The county says the Emmy Awards qualify as a TV production, and all the people appearing on the show are considered performers ... so masks were not a must for attendees.

Additionally, the Dept. of Health says there were extra safety modifications in place for the event. Yes, everyone had to be fully vaxxed ... but they also had to have a verified negative COVID test within 48 hours of the show. Crew members were either fully vaccinated or recently tested as well.

Overall, the Public Health office says the Emmys reached out to share its safety protocols and they "exceeded the baseline requirements for television and film productions."

Still, Rogen's speech during the ceremony was about more than just the optics of all the maskless celebs sitting close to one another. He also claimed Emmy officials promised them the show would be outdoors, and it wasn't.

Seth Rogen said out loud what lots of people were thinking ... how did all the celebs at the Emmys Sunday night get a pass when it came to wearing masks indoors?

Seth kinda joked he would have rethought even going to the Emmys had he known it would be held in a hermetically-sealed tent and there was not a mask in sight. He flat out called the Emmy honchos liars, saying, "They said this was outdoors. It's not. They lied to us."

The L.A. County Health Dept. says everyone at indoor events must wear masks ... what with the Delta variant still out of control in these parts. It seems undeniable -- that precaution was ignored as the gussied-up stars were like super-upscale masses huddled together as they cheered each other on. In fact, Seth groused, "There are way too many of us in this little room."

The only possible out for the Emmys is to argue the event was a "television production," but that's a stretch for everyone in the audience. Even if that were the case, it's sure bad messaging to viewers.

"West Wing" star Bradley Whitford begged to differ, saying he thought everything was COVID hunky-dory.

Cedric the Entertainer actually challenged Seth, saying, "It actually feels amazing in here, unlike what Seth was talking about." He noted everyone inside was vaxxed, joking that he didn't have an adverse reaction like the dude Nicki Minaj was talking about.

True enough ... they were all vaxxed, but it sure seems hypocritical to ignore the rules of the COVID road because it spoils a good look.

The Emmy organizers say tables in the room were 6 feet apart and the audience was smaller than normal. Nevertheless, what about masks?

Conan O'Brien stole the show Sunday night, barreling down the aisle to celebrate Stephen Colbert's Emmy win for Outstanding Variety Special ... thing is, Conan had nothing to do with it!

The famous stage crasher was beside himself with joy -- bear hugging Colbert. As Colbert gave his acceptance speech, Conan was effusive, prompting Colbert to quip, "And all of these people behind me, most of these people behind me ... most of the people behind me really deserve this Emmy right now."

Well, maybe this was all an act, because Colbert said backstage, "I said 'why don't you come on stage with us if we win?' We love Conan. We're honored to be superfans of Conan O'Brien."

And, that wasn't the end ... as the Academy Prez, Frank Scherma, said a few words to the crowd, Conan was back in fine form, saluting him with audible approval.

Jason Sudeikis and Kate Winslet know the only one way to celebrate bringing home a shiny, wing-woman trophy is to hit up the after-parties ... with that Emmy in hand, of course.

Jason and Kate were among the throng of celebs who kept the night going after the Emmys were awarded. Jason ended up at the famed Sunset Tower in L.A. ... and looked pretty damn sharp rocking his Tom Ford tux.

He snapped selfies with fans before going inside. Jason won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on the hilarious Apple TV+ series, "Ted Lasso." The series also won for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Anya Taylor-Joy didn't let getting snubbed at the Emmys for her role in "The Queen's Gambit" bring her down ... she was also at Sunset Tower partying it up.

About a mile or so down the road ... Kate hit up the San Vicente Bungalows in WeHo with her hubby, Abel Smith. She looked pretty stoked carrying around her statue after winning the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for HBO's "Mare of Easttown." The Weeknd also joined the Bungalows celebration.

Jamie Foxx gave a street eulogy for Michael K. Williams, and it was emotional, stirring and clearly heartfelt.

Jamie was leaving Caffe Roma Friday in Bev Hills, and our photog asked if Williams, who died earlier this month of an apparent drug overdose, should finally win an Emmy. That opened the door to a flood of emotions.

Jamie says MKW was better than the rest ... that he was in the league of Joe Morton and Samuel L. Jackson.

It was clearly hard for Jamie to process Williams' death ... he says they broke bread and talked about life just a few weeks back.

Jamie waxed poetic, saying Michael lived an artistic life and should be honored with the elusive award.

Michael is nominated for best supporting actor for his work on "Lovecraft Country." Fact is ... he was considered the shoo-in even before he died.

If he wins, his nephew, Dominic Dupont, will accept the award in Michael's honor. Jamie has some simple advice for Dominic on what to say and how to say it.

Andrew Cuomo is no longer the Governor of New York, and now ... he's no longer an Emmy Award winner either.

The disgraced ex-governor has been stripped of his special 2020 international Emmy in wake of the sexual harassment scandal that led to his recent resignation.

The decision to rescind the award was handed down Tuesday by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in wake of him leaving office following the New York AG's report that substantiated allegations of Cuomo's misconduct.

The International Academy adds ... "His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy material going forward."

Cuomo -- who officially resigned as Gov. Monday -- was bestowed the Founders Award at the 48th International Emmys in November for his daily, almost ubiquitous COVID-19 press briefings beginning in March 2020 ... in recognition of his "effective use of television during the pandemic."

He's not the first person to lose such an award for similar reasons -- the same thing happened to Kevin Spacey following allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017.

However, on the movie side of things, Roman Polanski won an Oscar for Best Director in 2003 for "The Pianist" after he pled guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Polanski received a standing ovation for winning the award, yet wasn't even allowed in the country to accept it. It was never taken away.

As we reported ... Cuomo resigned following NY State's harassment probe but denied any criminal activity.

Wayne Brady is incredibly honored to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy alongside Alex Trebek ... but losing to him? Well, that'd be one helluva honor too.

We got the "Let's Make a Deal" host in Times Square, and wanted to get his 2 cents on being nominated alongside the late legendary "Jeopardy!" host for outstanding game show host.

Wayne, always the total gentleman, couldn't help singing Alex's praises.

Wayne said the fact Alex got nominated posthumously speaks volumes ... calling him the consummate professional and the kind of host who was smooth and always in control.

There are some other notable nominees ... like Steve Harvey for "Family Feud," Alfonso Ribeiro for "Catch 21" and Pat Sajak for "Wheel of Fortune." Wayne says there'd be no shame losing to any of 'em, but losing to Alex? Well, he did set the bar after all.

Alex was nominated almost 7 months after he passed away following his courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Despite announcing the diagnosis in March 2019 ... Alex continued hosting into his 37th season.

Regina King pulled a real-life hero move by wearing a Breonna Taylor shirt while accepting her Emmy for playing a superhero ... so says Breonna's family attorney, Ben Crump.

The civil rights lawyer was at LAX Monday, sporting a Breonna mask himself, when he lauded the "Watchmen" star and all the other celebs who used their very public platforms at the 2020 Emmys to remind everyone ... justice still hasn't been served.

Crump tells us what Regina and others did keeps Black victims' stories from being swept under the rug. He also said the gesture -- also made by Uzo Aduba during her acceptance -- reminds him of something the iconic Harry Belafonte once said about how and when to use your influence.

Ben added, the continued public support for justice for Breonna keeps him hopeful the cops who killed her will soon be charged.

As we've reported ... no criminal charges have been brought in the case of Breonna's death, but the City of Louisville did reach a settlement last week with her estate. Louisville will pay out a historic amount of money, and also pledged major police reforms.

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.