Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe HONORS FOR ALI, EWF Earth, Wind & Fire picked up a lifetime achievement award and legendary heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was honored with a humanitarian award, as the Black Entertainment Network handed out its second annual BET awards in Hollywood Tuesday night. Advertisement Earth Wind & Fire was honored for a career spanning more than 30 years, in which they turned out such R&B classics as "That's the Way of the World," "Shining Star" and "After the Love Is Gone." Halle Berry was named best actress and Will Smith won best actor. Berry won the best actress Oscar for "Monster's Ball" and Smith was nominated for a best actor Oscar for "Ali" -- but the BET awards were not presented to honor a specific role. Honors for best music group went to Atlanta rappers OutKast. Usher and India.Arie were named best male and female R&B artists. Ja Rule and Missy Elliott won for best male and female hip-hop artists. Advertisement Alicia Keys was named best new artist and Yolanda Adams won for best gospel artist. Video of the year went to "Pass The Courvoisier, Part II" by Busta Rhymes, featuring P. Diddy and Pharrell. BET awards for male and female athlete of the year went to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and boxer Laila Ali -- the daughter of Muhammad Ali. The ceremonies were broadcast live on cable over BET. BROADWAY BY THE NUMBERS The Broadway box office did some decent business last week, with 29 shows grossing $13.8 million -- a very slight dip from the previous week, when "Sweet Smell of Success" was still pulling in a few dollars. The musical version of the 1957 Burt Lancaster-Tony Curtis drama of the same name closed June 15, despite John Lithgow's Tony Award for best actor in a musical. LETTERMAN ON 'NIGHTLINE' David Letterman -- who had been rumored headed to ABC earlier this year -- will finally show up on the Disney-owned network during the second week in July, but just for one night. Advertisement Letterman has agreed to be interviewed by veteran "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel on "Nightline: Up Close." That's the name ABC has given to the extra half-hour of Koppel's show, which will replace "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" after Maher finishes his six-year latenight run on the network at the end of this week. After weeks of speculation about whether he would jump from CBS to ABC -- and shove "Nightline" and Koppel out of the 11:30 p.m. time slot -- Letterman announced that he wasn't going anywhere. Once that was settled, he promised he would sit for an interview with Koppel -- his first formal interview since an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" in 1996. "Late Show with David Letterman" producer Rob Burnett told the New York Times there was never any question about Letterman coming through for Koppel. "Dave is no show-business weasel," said Burnett. "He promised Ted, and he's going to do it." Plans call for Koppel to return the favor and appear on "Late Show" on July 12. ADAM SANDLER'S FIANCE Adam Sandler, who opens Friday in the new comedy "Mr. Deeds," is engaged. Advertisement In an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" to promote the movie, Sandler said of his engagement to Jackie Titone that at 35, he's trying to grow up. But he couldn't resist making a joke about his sophomoric, immature image. "I mean ... now I can bring it up in a fight," he joked. "'Hey, I got you that ring. Leave me alone,' that kind of thing." Sandler told Diane Sawyer he played basketball to relax on the day he planned to pop the question, and rehearsed his lines as he drove to meet his fiancé -- "so she would remember nice stuff." Sandler also talked about the project he's currently working on, as a mild-mannered guy who mistakenly gets assigned to anger management therapy, and has to deal with an overly aggressive instructor -- played by Jack Nicholson. He said the Oscar-winning star of "As Good as It Gets" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is "a sweet guy" -- but he admitted to going through a little anxiety when he spent some time at Nicholson's house talking about the project. "I was trying to calm down, you know, being in the room with him," said Sandler. Advertisement Sounding like he's still jazzed because he knows Nicholson, Sandler said: "He's a great man. I love hanging out with him, love seeing him." And if that wasn't enough, Sandler made it a little plainer. "I do worship the guy," he said.
