Jessica Biel played host in the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA yesterday for the 81st Annual Academy Awards Scientific And Technical Awards Ceremony … which are basically, the Geek Oscars. Here are a couple pics of Jessica and the assembled Scientific And Technical Academy Award winners yesterday afternoon:

On a weekend when the Grammys were attracting most of the attention, Jessica Biel grabbed some Oscar spotlight for the people who make the movies look so good – and the actress looked pretty good herself. Wearing a strapless, silver-and-gold, floor-length Oscar De La Renta gown with magenta trim, Biel hosted the 81st Annual Science and Technical Oscars Saturday night, handing out awards to the unsung heroes who design Hollywood’s lighting systems, playback monitors, zoom lenses and computer graphics. The job required more than just looks, however. “They should call this show ‘Are You Smarter Than a 15th Grader,’” joked Biel as she valiantly waded through a river of difficult technical jargon. Befitting the industry’s ongoing transformation from hand-drawn to computer animation, the highest award –­ and the evening’s lone Oscar statuette –­ went to digital graphics pioneer and Pixar Animation Studios president Ed Catmull. Past starlets who have paid tribute to the industry top scientists and inventors include Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Garner. While not televised, excerpts from the evening will be played during the telecast of the 81st Academy Awards on Feb. 22.

I kinda love how they always tap ladies from Young Hollywood to host these awards year after year … I’m convinced the real reason they do not broadcast these awards is because the Motion Picture Academy doesn’t want the world to watch these ladies fumble thru trying to read their lines on national television. I’m also convinced that the Academy asks the ladies from Young Hollywood to host because the real actresses (you know, the ones that actually have a chance at winning Oscars sometime in their career) aren’t really interested … you gotta know that hosting the Geek Oscars is the only way some of these ladies (Alba, Johansson, Biel) will ever get their hands on actual Ocsars in their lifetime ;) In any event, Jessica Biel looked pretty amazing in her Oscar De La Renta and much congrats goes out to the talented tech folks who won Academy Awards this year.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

As I mentioned in the previous post, Whitney Houston was on hand at the Beverly Hills Hilton last night to perform for and honor famed music mogul Clive Davis at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards Salute to Icons event that was held last night. Because Whitney looked and (apparently) sounded so amazing at last night’s shindig, I thought it would be appropriate to give her own post to highlight her fabulosity. Here are a few pics of Whitney lookin’ AMAZING on stage last night:

From the moment cocktails were served at 7, buzz swirled around Whitney Houston. Would the long-absent diva really brave the stage at Saturday night’s celebrity-packed Pre-Grammy Gala? Host Clive Davis, Sony Music’s chief creative officer, gave her top billing, and guests at the Beverly Hilton were finally rewarded at 12:30 a.m., when the singer emerged for a short but lively medley that opened with a restrained I Will Always Love You and swelled into a dance jam with It’s Not Right But It’s Okay and I’m Every Woman. Houston, 45, sported big gold hoop earrings and a snug tea-length leopard-print gown as she confidently strutted across the stage in stiletto heels. Though her voice was not the sterling instrument of her prime, she seemed vocally fit, if somewhat buried by the loud band, backup singers and exuberant audience that cheered her return.

OMG, love it!!! You may recall that earlier this week we saw photos of Whitney and her daughter Bobbi Kristina making their arrival in SoCal … at the time, I wondered if Whitney was in town to begin work on her much-anticipated comeback album … I guess now we know the real purpose of her visit to SoCal. Even still, I’m encouraged by the rumors that her new album might be due for release this year. If anyone can get that album out of her, it’s Clive Davis. After the jump, check out a very nice portrait of Whitney and Clive that was taken backstage at last night’s event …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Clive Davis, famed music mogul, was honored at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards Salute To Icons tribute event which was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel last night and managed to bring out some of the biggest names in music to honor and party with him. Surrounded by his peers and his discoveries, Davis was sittin’ pretty as the night unfolded. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals last night:

A stunning-looking and strong-sounding Whitney Houston made a triumphant return to the stage at a pre-Grammy party honoring her mentor, music mogul Clive Davis. “I’ve got it, I’ve got it!” Houston, looking glamorous in a skintight leopard dress, sang early Sunday morning as she belted a line from one of her classic hits, “I’m Every Woman.” But more than a lyric, it summarized to the crowd of A-list superstars and top industry execs that the superstar — whose drug use and erratic behavior had caused a shocking fall from grace just a few years ago — was back in top form … Houston’s mini-concert put an exclamation point on a night that included a rousing performance by Kelly Clarkson, an unlikely but magical duet between Jennifer Hudson and Barry Manilow and a rambling monologue by Kanye West. “I have to bow in the presence of greats right now,” West said as he looked out into the crowd, which at one point included Sir Paul McCartney, Prince, Diddy, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Quincy Jones, and other luminaries. “I’m just humbled by your greatness, and also Clive,” West told the audience. Davis, the music mogul who founded labels, signed greats ranging from Houston to Bruce Springsteen to Janis Joplin, and resuscitated the careers of veterans like Rod Stewart and Carlos Santana, was honored by the Recording Academy as an industry icon on Saturday, hours before Sunday’s Grammys. For nearly three decades, Davis’ pre-Grammy party and concert had become one of the industry’s most coveted invites; this year, the Recording Academy took the event over and honored Davis instead. But while Davis got an award, he still held court like it was his own party, acting as the evening’s host as he introduced performers like Stewart, the Kings of Leon and Leona Lewis. Diddy got the often staid crowd on their feet with a moving rendition of his tribute to the slain Notorious B.I.G., “I’ll Be Missing You,” with Biggie’s widow, singer Faith Evans, and a gospel choir. Clarkson got one of the evening’s biggest ovations with her performance of her new single, “My Life Would Suck Without You” and the Joplin gem “Piece of My Heart.” But Hudson was perhaps the night’s biggest star — until Houston hit the stage. Starting with the Super Bowl last Sunday, Hudson has been raising her profile after spending months in seclusion following the slayings of her mother, brother and nephew last October. A smiling Houston performed her hit “Spotlight,” which earned her one of her four Grammy nominations, and got a standing ovation from the crowd. But she raised the bar with a pairing with Barry Manilow, injecting one of his signature songs, “Weekend in New England,” with a lacking ingredient — soul. Afterward, the Oscar-winner joined the audience (and friend Fantasia), stood in the front and danced and sang as Houston performed. Houston started off with “I Will Always Love You,” but didn’t hit the high, sustaining notes that made the song such a dramatic, stirring hit. Instead, she kept her voice at medium power, deciding to croon rather than soar. But as she got into hits like “It’s Not Right, But It’s O.K.,” her voice appeared to get stronger — and louder, and while she never replicated the vocal gymnastics of some of her past work, delivered a mesmerizing performance nonetheless. The 45-year-old, one of the best-selling artists of all time and among the greatest singers, hasn’t made an album since 2002. Then she was was sinking due to drug use and a tumultuous personal life — a far cry from the princess image she cultivated since her debut in the 1980s. But the singer is expected to release an album sometime this year, and unlike other reported returns, this comeback seems to be the real deal. “She was on it, she was happy — she’s back,” said Foxx. “Everybody else watch out.”

This Grammy Awards Salute to Icons affair sounded like a night to remember. I cannot even fathom what it must be like to be in presence of so much talent all in one room. The fact that even Kanye West was humbled, well, that should tell you something. After the jump, check out a bunch of photos that range from the performance stage to the interaction in the audience …

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »