Randy Jackson slipped into New York last night to pick up a lifetime achievement award from the TJ Martell Foundation. This is the record industry’s highly esteemed charity for cancer and AIDS research. It was founded by Columbia Records’ Tony Martell over 30 years ago in memory of his son, TJ, who died thirty seven years ago at age 19. No parent has ever been so devoted to a child’s memory and to finding a cure for what took his life. Last night TJ Martell raised millions, with memorable performances by Graham Nash and David Crosby, BeBe Winans, Grace Potter, and Little Big Town.

The honorees included Randy, Russell Simmons, BMI chief Del Bryant, and producer/philanthropist Ed Walson, whose father pretty much invented cable TV in the Pittsburgh area. Tony Martell, who has snow white hair after all these years, also introduced the audience to several cancer survivors helped by the Foundation.

Randy is looking relaxed now that all the deals at “American Idol” are done. Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are on opposite coasts. Publicists are in their corners, dreaming up new schemes. Randy is working on Mariah’s album and some surprising new projects.

In the audience: everyone from Motown legends Berry Gordy and Lamont Dozier to Woody Allen (who stopped in briefly to support Walson with wife Soon Yi), Regis and Joy Philbin, Susan Lucci and husband Helmut Huber, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, TVcaster son Greg and banker son Jim; a large group from HSN for Randy Jackson (his watches have sold like hotcakes). various record company executives like Tom Corson of RCA and music biz attorney Joel Katz.

All the speeches were great, from Ed Walson reminiscing about saving up his money at age 10 to buy jazz records to Del Bryant recalling his famous songwriter parents, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, who wrote the Everly Brothers’ hits like “Wake up Little Susie” and “Bye Bye Love.” There was much talk all night our departed friend, Frances Preston, who ran BMI years and was loved by all.

Randy Jackson was introduced with videos made by Ryan Seacrest and Mariah Carey. Ryan tried some lame jokes, but the audience didn’t bite.

Russell Simmons, who hasn’t seen a charity he didn’t like, talked about living a life of service.

Tony Martell, who is getting older now, still has incredible energy. He ended his remarks by asking the well heeled guests to make sure the organization lives on. There’s no doubt that it will.

It was all in jest last night at the Hollywood Film Awards at the Beverly Hilton. Our LEAH SYDNEY reports that Robert DeNiro, who rarely speaks for very long, went on at some length when he won Best Supporting Actor for “Silver Linings Playbook” (an award that may duplicate itself as the season goes on). DeNiro said: “I’m an old hand at award ceremonies.  I’ve handed out Oscars to Sean Penn, Eli Wallach and Francis Ford Coppola. I even gave Ben Stiller an award,  I think it was at a lunch or something.  Hell I even gave Don Rickles an award and I don’t even like him.  I’ve given a half a dozen lifetime achievement awards to Marty Scorsese, even though Leo DiCaprio has taken my place as his go-to guy.”

Most of the evening had something to do with Harvey Weinstein, who was there. DeNiro won for “Silver Linings,” Dustin Hoffman got an award for “Quartet,” Ben Affleck–who made his name with Harvey–got an award for “Argo.” Quentin Tarantino, whose “Django Unchained” is getting ready to launch, was there, as were “Silver Linings” director David O. Russell and star Bradley Cooper, plus former “Chicago” Oscar nominee Richard Gere (“Chicago”), Marion Cotillard, Amy Adams (in Harvey’s “The Master”), and Judd Apatow.

It was quite an A list soiree for Carlos de Abreu,  founder and executive director of the awards of the Hollywood Film Festival, and of Hollywoodnews.com.

Lots of bawdy humor and inside jokes make this ceremony the cleverest one of the season. Bradley Cooper was given the Hollywood Actor Award by director-designer Tom Ford. Cooper said: “David O. Russell took a real shot with me which is not lost on me at all.  I hit the jackpot.  “

Next up was Seth Rogen who gave The Comedy Award to Judd Apatow.  Seth said sarcastically.” It’s awesome that I get up after two of the most handsome men in the universe. [Cooper and Ford] I would f— them both.”

Seth went on to say, “So this is the first stop of the awards season or if you work in comedy it’s the last stop of the awards seasons.  Les Miz just f—ed us all.  Why is it so hard for comedies?  Amazing thing about this awards show; none of these movies have come out yet.  Who votes for these things?  Somebody named Carlos?  I picture Carlos The Jackal.”

Abreu, a lovely guy, has a good thick skin, thank goodness.

Seth went on about his feelings for Judd.  “Hey Judd is a good director.  But not as good as Ben Affleck.  If Judd had directed ‘Argo,’ it would have been unsuspenseful and sucked.”

With the crowd laughing, Judd came on and said, “Seth just did my entire f—ng speech.”

Real life CIA Agent Tony Mendez, on whose story “Argo” is based, gave Ben his award.

Ben Affleck said” “I’m honored to play somebody who’s a real person and an American hero.  It’s more than profoundly humbling, its an education and extraordinary.  I’d like to thank all the showbiz people here,” Then Ben looked specifically at Harvey Weinstein and said, “Harvey” to which the crowd cracked up.

Dustin Hoffman, who received The Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award for his film ‘Quartet,’ also spoke directly to Weinstein:  “I see Harvey in front of me, he gave me wonderful notes.  It doesn’t mean that for my next one I’ll listen to them.”  Dustin then went on to thank his agent, WME’s Adam Venit, and his wife Lisa Hoffman, who quipped, “Unfortunately I found out that they were having an affair.  It was their way of getting me out of LA.”

Helen Hunt presented the Hollywood Breakthrough Performance Award to her Sessions co-star John Hawkes.  John remarked, “after 26 years in the business, its never too late to make a first impression.”

Diablo Cody gave The Hollywood Screenwriter Award to Quentin Tarantino.  Quentin commented, “It’s strange to get an award while you’re still in the editing room.  I’m literally going to go home and watch dallies to cut tomorrow.  Away we go!”

Richard Gere then got the last award of the night, the Hollywood Career Achievement Award, presented to him by Edward Norton.  Gere dedicated to his agent of over forty years, the late Ed Limato.  Richard said, “I’m not aware of time very much.  I don’t think I’m old enough to get these kind of awards yet, but I appreciate it.”

Here’s the last item (I think) from Rod Stewart’s new book. It’s all about his friendly competition with Elton John:

From time to time this rivalry has driven Elton to pull off some beautifully organized stunts. In 1985 I had a bunch of massive footballs, the size of blimps, tethered above Earls Court to mark the fact that I was doing concerts there. Elton hired a sniper to shoot them down with an air rifle. Or like the time the banner for my Blondes Have More Fun tour, outside the same venue, was matched by one that Elton put up on an opposite building, which read, “But Brunettes Make More Money.”

There is no more generous person on this earth, though, than Elton— just incredibly generous. I have watches he has given me for birthdays: lavish, thickly jeweled pieces engraved “From Elt.” He gave my first wife, Alana, with whom he remained good friends after she and I separated, a Steinway piano. Those don’t come cheap.

And then there was the Christmas where I thought long and hard about the present I was going to give him. That’s always a tough one: What do you get the man who has bought himself everything? Eventually, though, after a bit of scouring around the shops, I lit upon the solution: a novelty portable fridge. … And it cost me about £ 300, which I thought was enough. Elton’s present to me that year: a Rembrandt. A drawing— The Adoration of the Shepherds. A fucking Rembrandt! I felt pretty small— although not as small as Elton presumably wanted me to feel when he later referred tartly to my present as “an ice bucket.” It was not an ice bucket. It was a novelty portable fridge.

Anyway, I played it a bit better on his fiftieth birthday in 1997. I bought him a full-size, sit-under hairdryer like the ones you see in women’s hair salons. Two years later, he marked my marriage to Rachel with a £ 10 voucher from Boots.* On the card he wrote, “Get yourself something nice for the house.”