EMMY GOLD: It took eight seasons, but Emmy finally recognized "Friends" as TV's best comedy at Sunday's 54th annual awards. Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry lost the lead actor in a comedy series Emmy to first-time winner Ray Romano, 44, but Jennifer Aniston took the lead actress honors for playing the pregnant Rachel last season. (She previously had competed, and lost, in the supporting category.) "Surreal," is how Aniston, 33, speaking to Katie Couric backstage with her costars surrounding her, described winning. "It's an amazing feeling. You can't really explain it, because you couldn't have one person up there without the others."
RICKY REELS: In Washington, D.C., Ricky Martin was honored for his musical achievements and his humanitarian efforts at the 16th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, PEOPLE reported. NBC plans to air the show Oct. 12. An emotional Martin, 31, shed tears when three young orphan girls whom he recently helped rescue from the streets of Calcutta surprised him by stepping forward to present him with his Heritage Award medal. "I think I'm freaked out. I had something planned. But forget it," he said. "Sorry. This really comes from my heart."
STOP, THIEF: Britney Spears, Nelly, Missy Elliott, Eminem, Madonna, Dixie Chicks, Elton John, Sting, Phil Collins, Luciano Pavarotti, Brian Wilson and Natalie Cole are in concert -- in one sense of the word -- as they are gathering for a widespread print and TV advertising campaign to fight the alleged evils of online piracy. Reuters reported that the music stars will be featured in coming weeks in record-label-funded ads as a means to educate the public about the illegal downloading of music. "We want to hit fans with the message that downloading music illegally is, as Britney Spears explains in one of the spots, 'the same thing as going into a CD store and stealing the CD, '" said Hilary Rosen, chief executive officer of Recording Industry Association of America.
STAR TREATMENT: Nick Nolte, who was reportedly "drooling" and "droopy-eyed" when arrested Sept. 11 on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, checked into a substance abuse and psychiatric center in Connecticut. According to a statement from Nolte spokesman Paul Bloch, the "Prince of Tides" star, 61, voluntarily entered Silver Hill Hospital on Sept. 14 and will remain in treatment for "as long as he feels is necessary." Silver Hill, a clinic specializing in drug and alcohol rehab, has reportedly also treated Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli.
BASS UNBOUND: Despite being dismissed by the Russian Space Agency and NASA on Sept. 3 after failing to come up with the necessary $20 million to join an Oct. 28 space mission, Lance Bass, the wannabe astronaut member of 'N Sync, was reportedly back at the Star City training center outside of Moscow this week. As Yuri Nikiforov, general director of Atlas Airspace, told the Associated Press: "He will not go in October for sure, but he just doesn't want to interrupt the (training) program." Bass, 23, had begun his space preparations in July with the hope that corporate sponsors would pay for his trip. They didn't.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Friend in High Places
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