Last night in New York City, the Foundation of American Women in Radio & Television presented their 34th annual Gracie Awards honoring the top women making entertainment for women.

The night’s biggest winners were Amy Poehler, who took home the 2009 Dove Real Beauty Award, Tribute Award winner Rachael Ray and MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath, who was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. And the red carpet was graced by more media celebrities who won or presented awards throughout the evening, including Suze Orman, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Ann Curry, Bob Schieffer, New York Housewives Jill Zarin, Kelly Bensimon, LuAnn de Lesseps and Alex McCord, Oprah‘s BFF Gayle King and Maya Angelou.

Photo: Host Niecy Nash, reality star Ruby Gettinger, Kathy Griffin, Orman and Ray. Courtesy Larry Busacca/Wireimage. Check out some photos from inside the Gracies here and here.

Read on to find out who we talked to inside the Marriott Marquis ballroom

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Nothing gets New Yorkers to jump on a bus faster than a party, especially a party where the guest of honor is the Barack Obama. For the second time this year, journalists and celebrities flocked to the Beltway to party it up with the prez–this time for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday.

Our colleagues over at FishbowlDC have extensive coverage of the weekend in the capitol. They hit all the fashionable pre-parties including ones hosted by The National Journal and The Atlantic and CBS. They hung out with celebs like Connie Britton, Ellen Burstyn, Tim Daly, Dana Delany, Kerry Washington and Rachael Leigh Cook at the Creative Coalition’s Thursday night fete and spied Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Rashida Jones, Jon Bon Jovi, Owen Wilson, Jason Bateman, Natalie Portman, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Brad Hall, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Dennis Leary, Glenn Close and BJ Novak at the Vanity Fair/Bloomberg after-party.

Of course, FBDC correspondents were also at the main event. If you missed it, you can watch Obama’s full (and pretty funny) speech here. Our favorite part of the President’s speech was when he teased Rahm Emanuel with a Mother’s Day jab: “He’s not used to saying the word day after ‘mother.’”

We actually only saw the cold open of SNL last night, and were a bit disappointed by Sarah Palin‘s appearance — the Tina Fey walk-by just didn’t live up to…any hype actually. However! Turns out we missed the best part. The Sarah Palin Rap! Amy Poehler should maybe get some kind of record deal for this, but, moreover, turns out Sarah Palin is a great sport. Not necessarily the kind of sport you want a heartbeat away from the presidency, but still. It also bears noting this is a rap done by a very pregnant woman comedian about a female, mother of five, Vice-Presidential candidate. Just saying. Watch the rap below and the opener after the jump.

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We spoke with lovable/loathsome Nancy Grace shortly after her Court TV exit, with topics ranging from Amy Poehler to Alec Baldwin to Paris Hilton to O.J. to Jacko Prince. Oh, and that rumored spat with Star Jones:

Does your leaving have anything to do with Star Jones coming on board?
We just worked together doing a Law & Order SVU episode for eight straight hours. [Grace and Jones will appear on the show's season finale on May 22]. I got to hang out with her and her husband. We had a great, great day. I had a really good time. We play ourselves. When they first asked me, I thought, ‘Good God, I’m not an actress. I will be terrible.’ Then they told me I’m playing myself so I said, ‘Okay.’ I had a wonderful time being with her. I think she’s going to be perfect for Court TV. I know people would love to stir something up, but I’ve been in this contract for three years and the option really ends this summer.

Any truth to the other interesting rumor out there that you might be joining The View?
I’m very, very flattered that someone would even think that, but I have a job already and I’m under contract with Headline News.

So they haven’t approached you?
I’m … just … No. We are not in any talks.

Nancy Grace. Hillary Clinton. Now Dakota Fanning. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: “Dick in a Box” videos aside, Amy Poehler continues to save SNL.

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NBC released the uncensored version, and, like another Andy Samberg mock song, it has rocketed to YouTube’s upper elevations (#13 all-time) in less than a week. We’ve mentioned it before, but if all Saturday Night Live produced were Digital Shorts and Amy Poehler‘s Nancy Grace, we’d never change the channel.

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