Vanessa Hudgens:  Keeping Busy in NYC

Vanessa Hudgens:  Keeping Busy in NYC

It’s the beginning of a whirlwind few months for Vanessa Hudgens. And she’s been spending the week in New York City tending to her promotional duties.

Yesterday, the High School Musical cutie was spotted on her way to a photo shoot at the Pier 59 Studios in the Chelsea Piers district of Manhattan, following appearances on Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kelly.

And the day before, Miss Hudgens was busying herself with a visit to MTV Studios in Times Square to tape a segment for the teen-popular Total Request Live.

Vanessa recently told press that despite her nude photo scandal last year, she’s still holding out hope that she can maintain her image as a role model for young girls.

She said, “At the end of the day I have to be happy with myself. Just going to live my life and enjoy doing it.  You only have one shot… of course I want to be a good role model and try to do my best but I’m still me.”

Vanessa Hudgens Stops By Regis and Kelly

Vanessa Hudgens Stops By Regis and Kelly

With her hectic schedule, this girl must be toting some Red Bull around with her!  Vanessa Hudgens tended to her promotional duties this morning (July 2) with an appearance on “Good Morning America” followed by a stop at “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

And the “High School Musical” hottie looked as cute as ever in a wispy white and blue shirt teamed with a pair of designer jeans and strappy heeled sandals.

Vanessa has been going non-stop since she arrived at JFK International Airport earlier this week.  And with the release of her new album Identified, it’s no wonder.

Of the new disc, Vanessa tells: “Identified is a lot of fun. It’s my second album. It’s just me identifying myself. I’ve also been into things that are a little different–a jazzier feel. I wanted to interpret that into my album. It’s a different part of me that no one’s ever heard before.”

Talking about her upcoming tour, the HSM cutie explains: “In August, I’m gonna go on a state fair tour, which I’m really excited about. I’m just gonna be eating cotton candy all morning! [And] I’m actually going to be doing some show with (High School Musical co-star) Corbin Bleu, so I’m just thrilled to do it.”

Meanwhile, yesterday she paid a visit to MTV Studios in Times Square for an appearance on Total Request Live, followed by a high-profile dinner out at the Waverly Inn.

Ellen, Tyra, Rachael Ray Share Daytime Emmy Glory

Ellen Degeneres

It’s going to take an armyor at least a stronger contingent than they’ve got over at The Viewto take down Ellen DeGeneres.

The master of witty self-deprecation won her fourth consecutive trophy for Outstanding Talk Show Host, once again besting Barbara Walters & Co. and Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, at the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

“I never take this for granted…Every single year, I know people joke about it…It’s not what we do it for but it feels so good,” DeGeneres said while thanking her fans, crew, family and fiancé Portia de Rossi.

“We all know this has been a crazy year. On my show, we’ve done a lot of crying and a lot of laughing, and I’ve cried all by myself and people laugh, and then I cry some more…I know you’re counting me down but it’s the longest day of the year, I just read, so I can go on,” she continued, referring to tonight’s summer solstice.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show did not pick up its fifth win for Outstanding Talk Show, however. Instead, that honor went to the endearingly upbeat Rachael Ray, the first major win for the love-her-or-hate-her Food Network star’s syndicated strip.

Philbin, a winner for his talk-show hosting prowess only once in the two decades he’s been doing Live with Regis and Kelly/Kathie Lee, didn’t go home empty-handed this time around, either. The daytime stalwart was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his prolific career in broadcasting.

(Fun fact: The year he won, 2001, was also the year he snagged hardware for Outstanding Game Show Host for the eventually over-exposed Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.)

Regis Philbin

“What a night,” Philbin told the crowd after accepting his award from Jimmy Kimmel. “Tyra Banks told me to kiss her big beautiful and I found out I’m older than the Guiding Light.”

In the backstabbing world of soap operas (we mean on camera, of course), ABC’s General Hospital sewed up its record 10th win for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as a sixth Lead Actor statue for Anthony “Luke Spencer” Geary.

Jeanne Cooper of CBS’ The Young and the Restless, which headed into the evening as the most-nominated soap, with 17 nods, picked up her first win in nine tries for Outstanding Lead Actress.

“I only made up my mind to come on Monday,” Cooper said backstage. “I’m glad I did.”

TYATR’s Kristoff St. John also won for Outstanding Supporting Actor, giving the series three wins overall.

One Life to Live was the most-honored drama of the night with six wins, including Emmys for its directing and writing teams, and Guiding Light was second, with four triumphant moments to its credit.

Tyra Banks

Despite being all gussied up in Top Model mode, a more serious Banks won the inaugural Emmy for Outstanding Informative Talk Show, a new category that allowed the former catwalker to avoid a showdown with Ellen and The View, both relegated to entertainment talk show status.

Instead, Banks’ two-hanky chatfest beat out Dr. Phil and the dual PBS educational series A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos en su Casa.

“I want to thank Oprah Winfrey for her inspiration,” Banks said. “She is the queen. She will always be the queen.”

“They said that The Tyra Banks Show would last two weeks and we are enterting our fourth season this September,” the outspoken media maven continued.

“I just have a message for everybody out there: When you have a dream, there are going to be so many people out there who tell you cannot do it, that you are not good enough. And I want you to tell them to kiss your dimply, flat, juicy, bootylicious, skinny, jiggly, saggy, fat ass!”

Winfrey’s last win for hosting came in 1995, her fifth consecutive win and sixth overall. She has benevolently been excusing herself and her show from their respective top categories since 1999.

I’m not going to take my name out,” DeGeneres told reporters backstage. “Oprah has made so many bad choices. Look at her career.”

Sherri Shepherd and Cameron Mathison hosted tonight’s ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood where, for the first time, ABC arranged the audience Golden Globes-style at banquet tables. Footage of the well-fed and boozy good times is available for watching on SoapNet.com.

Here’s the complete list of winners from the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Jonas Brothers Mobbed by Fans

Jonas Brothers Mobbed by Fans

When it comes to fanfare and pandemonium, it’s hard to compete with the Jonas Brothers .  And this morning was just another example of how much their fans love them.

The JoBros are currently in New York City on a promotional tour for their new movie Camp Rock that hits the Disney Channel airwaves next Friday June 20th at 8pm.

And as part of their duties, Nick, Joe, and Kevin paid a visit to “Live with Regis and Kelly.” But first they had to wade their way through a sea of adoring fans outside their hotel.

Not to worry- armed with killer smiles and Sharpie markers, the three heartthrobs made quick work of meeting and greeting their peeps before heading over to the TV studio.