Last night, while the TV stars were glamming up to hit the red carpet at the 2012 Emmy Awards, Uncle Rush and Miss Universe Leila Lopes were on hand to celebrate a good cause.

Russell and Leila showed up to support the 2nd Annual South-South Awards at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel New York, during the High-Level Segment of this year’s 67th Session of the General Assembly.

The media has been jesting about the 'couple' after their chummy photos from the red carpet. Russel has been playing coy with the rumors that he’s dating the 26-year-old Angolan former Miss Universe but with their past twitter tell-tales the like-ness persists. Well, when you have the most beautiful and graceful woman in the universe sashaying down the red carpet you can feel for the pretty smitten mogul. Russell Wendell Simmons is an American business magnate. He and Rick Rubin founded the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam. He also created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and American Classics

The South-South Awards mark the excellence in E-governance , ICT infrastructure and Sustainable Tourism, honoring initiatives that are successfully helping to advance the Millennium Development Goals.

Film and television star Laura Prepon was Mistress of Ceremonies. Don Felder, world-renowned musician and former lead guitarist for The Eagles; Angelique Kidjo, Grammy Award-Winning performer; musician Stephen Bishop; and Grammy Award-Winning violinist Miri Ben-Ari enthralled the audience with their performances. Renowned Latin singer and five-time Grammy Award-Winner Gilberto Santa Rosa was be honored with a Lifetime Culture Achievement Award for his use of music as an instrument to promote culture for development across the world.

China's HNA Group received the 2012 South-South Awards for its charity projects in parts of China and Africa over the past eight years.

Leila too won an award for promoting sustainable tourism. She is also the UNCCD Drylands Ambassador, championing the cause of desertification, land degradation and drought, causes and possible solutions.


Check out the photos of Leila all chic on the red carpet below.

With inputs from GlobalGrind and South-South News