64TH PRIMETIME EMMY AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

The Judges of NBC's The Voice

The 64th Primetime Emmy Award Nominees have been announced and indeed Television has stepped-up its game with field upon field of tough competition in each category. This year we see the return of AMC's Mad Men after a lengthy absence and it is a force to be reckoned with Elisabeth Moss, Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks and even the underrated Jared Harris being recognized for their superb work. HBO's Comedy, Girls, also is a force to be reckoned with, getting nods for Outstanding Comedy Series and Lead Actress in a Comedy with Lena Dunham. 

ABC's Modern Family once again is well-represented with all four of its male Stars, Ty Burrell, Ed O'Neill, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson all up against each other for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Kristen Wiig stands a v. good chance at winning in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live with this past season having been her finale one.

Julianne Moore is up against her The Hours Co-star Nicole Kidman for Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie for her portrayal of Sarah Palin in HBO's Game Change, while the latter is being recognized for her work in HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn.  Ashley Judd somehow is angled into the same category for her work in Missing which after its cancellation, is now being considered a Miniseries? Girl, please.

Interestingly, NBC's The Voice is nominated in the category of Outstanding Reality Program, while the Godfather in the genre, FOX's American Idol fails to get any recognition from the Academy.  The two programs have had v. public feuds in the Media in the past with Idol's Randy Jackson having called its Foe, "second-rate".

Click here for a full list of Nominees.

(Photo credit: NBC)

RICO RODRIGUEZ IN TORONTO FOR 2012 MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS

Rico Rodriguez in Toronto - June 2012

Everybody loves Manny! Rico Rodriguez, Star of ABC's Modern Family usually maintains a low profile but Fans got lucky today in front of his Yorkville Hotel as he stopped to pose for Photos with Fans after grabbing some McDonald's with his Mom. Although their intention originally was to take Photos with Fans - stating specifically "No Autographs", things got a little unruly and at last Rodriguez decided only to pose for Photos and wave to Fans.

The Actor is in-town for the 2012 MuchMusic Video Awards and actually was just here last June for the CityTV Upfronts promoting his hit TV Series.

See more Snaps below:

JOSH HUTCHERSON HONOURED AT 2012 GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS

Josh Hutcherson in Toronto - March 2012

So proud of The Hunger Games Star Josh Hutcherson, whom at age 19 became the youngest-ever Recipient of the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards, which laud the positive depiction and representation of the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Community in the Mainstream.  The Actor earlier in the year attached his name to the Straight But Not Narrow Campaign, which promotes the visibility and understanding of the LGBT Community.  He also starred in 2010 Comedy The Kids Are All Right, which centered around a Lesbian Couple whose lives are turned upside-down with the Arrival of the Biological Father of their Children.  Love him.

Other Honourees this year include double Winner Chaz Bono, who was surprised by his Mother Cher on-stage in a big, poofy, Afro Wig.  Bono won the Stephen F. Kolzak and Outstanding Documentary Awards - the latter for his Documentary Becoming Chaz.

ABC's Modern Family and Focus Features' Beginners also were named Outstanding TV Series and Wide-Release Film respectively.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

"THE ARTIST" WINS AT PRODUCERS GUILD AWARDS

Angelina Jolie at 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards

The Producers Guild Awards were held earlier this evening at the Beverly Hilton, honouring the Producers behind the finest in Television and Film. The Awards are considered a major precursor to determining who might win at the Oscars. The Artist has solidified its status as the Frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars with its Producer Thomas Langmann winning for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.  Nominations will be announced early Tuesday.

Other Winners tonight included:

• Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Peter Jackson for The Adventures of Tintin (Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Picture

• Angelina Jolie's directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey (The Stanley Kramer Award)

• Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Jeffrey Richman, Dan O’Shannon, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel & Danny Zuker for Modern Family (Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy)

• Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant & Gareth Neame for Downtown Abbey (Outstanding Producer of Long-form Television) 

 

See Photos from the Awards at Zimbio. View a complete list of Winners here.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

"THE ARTIST" LEADS 69TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

Still from The Artist

Awards Season has now kicked-in officially with the Golden Globe Nominations being announced earlier today at 5:00 AM PAC from Los Angeles. No huge surprises this year, but if anything Michael Hazanavicius' The Artist has solidified itself as a Frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars, leading all other Nominees with a total six nods including Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical where it is up against 50/50, My Week with Marilyn, Midnight in Paris and the biggest Box Office Hit of them all, Bridesmaids.

The Help fared v. well, in addition to leading in SAG Awards nominations as announced yesterday, garnering nods for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama with Viola Davis (some saw her as a Supporting Actress) and also Actress in a Supporting Role with Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer. It too is in the running for Best Motion Picture - Drama vying against The Descendants, Hugo, Moneyball, War Horse and The Ides of March.

Michelle Williams leads the race for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for My Week with Marilyn, giving her a bit of breather from her stiffest Oscars competition in Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady in the the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. Both Streep and Williams are being campaigned by the same interest in The Weinstein Co.  The Match of the Year.

"THE HELP" AND "MODERN FAMILY" LEAD SAG AWARD NOMINATIONS

Still from The Help

Nominees for the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced earlier today from West Hollywood's SilverScreen Theater. The Awards honour Actors versus the actual Film or Television Program.

The Help leads all Film nominees with a total four nominations. Viola Davis gets a nod for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, while her Co-stars Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain are up for Female Actor in a Supporting Role. The talented Cast together are nominated also for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture.

ABC's Modern Family also received a total four nominations in the Television categories with both Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet both up for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series. Sofia Vergara is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor and the Cast also are up for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

BENJAMIN BRATT TO FILM "THE LESSER BLESSED" IN SUDBURY

Still from Modern Family

Although he's been quieter of late, occasionally appearing on Modern Family and Private Practice, Benjamin Bratt is slated to begin Production on new TV Film The Lesser Blessed for a month tentatively beginning mid-November, fully utilizing his ethnic good looks to full versatility. The Drama is about a young First Nations Man who stuggles to find his place in the Modern World.

The Film is based upon a Novel by Richard van Camp and a Film was originally in-the-works back in 2007 but now finally ready to begin.

Production will take place mostly in Sudbury, along with another Feature called The Truth starring Eva Longoria, Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia. Has Sudbury replaced Toronto as the new Hollywood North?

(Photo credit: ABC)

RICO RODRIGUEZ OF "MODERN FAMILY" IN TORONTO FOR CITYTV'S FALL 2011 UPFRONTS

Rico Rodriguez & Mr. Will-W.

In Toronto to promote CityTV's upcoming 2011 Fall Season, 12 year-old Star Rico Rodriguez is one of the few Cast members of ABC's Emmy Award-winning Series Modern Family to visit the City since it graced the airwaves in 2009. You could even say it was overdue. 

Rodriguez, made famous through his role as Manny Delgado, the Son of Jay (Ed O'Neill) and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) had a fantastic year in 2010, being named one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year and also a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

The adorable Actor was not only excited to visit to promote his hit Television Series, but also to spend time with good Friend Madison Pettis, who has been working on Television Series Life with Boys locally.

17TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Still from The Fighter

Nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards have just been announced and perhaps this is a better indication of what's to come for the Oscars than the randomness of Monday's Golden Globe nominees.  Honouring the v. best performances in Television and Film, the SAGs will air Sunday, January 30, 2011 on TBS.

The Fighter ties The King's Speech in leading all nominees with four nods each. Surprisingly, The Social Network only earned two nominations this time - Oustanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture and Oustanding Performance by an Actor in Leading Role in a Motion Picture.

Both Robert Duvall for Get Low and Jeff Bridges for True Grit finally get some recognition this Awards season in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role alongside favourites Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network, Colin Firth for The King's Speech and James Franco for 127 Hours.

JAMES MARSDEN ON ABC'S "MODERN FAMILY"

Finally! More Stills from that upcoming episode of Modern Family with James Marsden have been released. It's been confirmed the episode Slow Down Your Neighbours, will be airing Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST.

On the episode, Marsden will be playing Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell's (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) new neighbour, a Reiki Massage Therapist and in the below Still, it appears that he gets v. hands-on with Mitchell. Woo-woo!  There were earlier reports that Marsden's character would be shirtless for the episode but those Stills haven't surfaced yet.

James Marsden guest stars on Modern Family

After Elton has the full Episode Synopsis and apparently the Couple run into Mitchell's Ex-Girlfriend also from his "straight" days.  Hey, it happens!

(Photo credit: Adam Larkey/ABC)

JAMES MARSDEN TO APPEAR ON "MODERN FAMILY" SHIRTLESS

James Marsden

If you've got it, then flaunt it.  In addition to being incredibly talented as we all saw in Adam Shankman's Hairspray (2007), James Marsden will be generating some heat soon on your Television Receivers, PVRs, Computer Monitors or whatever you use to watch TV, in an appearance on ABC's Modern Family.  No word yet on whether or not this will be a recurring role... but it should!

Marsden will play a new neighbor of the show's Gay couple Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and apparently they cannot keep their eyes off of him as he parades about shirtless.  Above is just a sample of what we can expect to see.  Perhaps this a much-needed move to increase his exposure as really, the actor should be a lot more popular than he is.

I'm only just now getting into Modern Family and it is one of the few Television shows I watch consistently other than America's Next Top Model, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Mad Men, 30 Rock and Glee. Last week's Halloween episode had me laughing out loud at the family's dysfunction and ongoing failed attempts are trying to be "normal".  Something as simple as putting together some Candy Handouts wound up being a huge debacle with their clashing of egos.  Just like any other real family I suppose!

EMMY AWARDS RECAP: JANE LYNCH WINS BIG

A huge congratulations goes to Jane Lynch, one of tonight's big winners at The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.  Lynch was awarded Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Glee, which should come as no surprise.  I've been championing her from the get-go here, so this victory is especially sweet for me!  Above this, Glee Director Ryan Murphy also scored a win in the Outstanding Director for a Comedy Series category.

The ceremony held at Nokia Theatre and hosted by Jimmy Fallon united Television's biggest stars and there were some surprises to be found.  Paying tribute to Glee, the program opened with Fallon, the cast of Glee and many of television's biggest stars singing a highly entertaining rendition of Bruce Springstreen's Born to Run.

Claire Danes and the team behind Temple Grandin cleaned-up, winning multiple awards this evening after receiving a whopping 15 nominations.  The made-for-television Movie is based on the true story of an Autistic woman, who actually was in attendance tonight.  Danes was awarded Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

For a third year in a row, AMC's Mad Men won Outstanding Drama Series although its stars Christina Hendricks, Jon Hamm (who will be in-town for TIFF), Elisabeth Moss and January Jones, were all shut-out in the Acting categories yet again.  Modern Family, which continues to win the praise of audiences across the nation, won Outstanding Comedy Series - its star Sofia Vergara drew a lot of Red Carpet attention this evening as did Glee's Lea Michele, who is celebrating her Birthday today.

George Clooney made an appearance also tonight accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his charity work, more notably his efforts in organizing the Hope for Haiti Now Telethon.

To view a full list of tonight's winners, click here.

Check out a few of these beauties below: