Let the Emmy party planning begin!

With HBO leading the Emmy race with 85 nods for "John Adams," "Recount," "Entourage," "Bernard and Doris" and more, you can put money on a splashy HBO Emmy party.

(HBO will want to say to the industry, "We're still players, even without 'The Sopranos,' 'Deadwood' and Chris Albrecht," won't it?)

And though the Emmy ceremony this year will be Sept. 21 at Nokia Theatre, the HBO party will probably be held once again at the Pacific Design Center. Why mess with a winning formula?

But "Entertainment Tonight's" 12th annual Emmy soirée - sponsored by People - is once again headed back downtown, returning to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

Guests will enjoy Spanish tapas from Patina Catering, a dessert lounge by Crumbs Bake Shop, a lounge serving top California wines and a live set from KCRW deejay Jason Bentley and Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz on the Blue Ribbon Patio.

Ladies -- or gentlemen -- can hit the Maybelline Beauty Bar for touch-ups.

No word on who the special music guest will be. And it's way too early to float a rumor. But last year it was Duran Duran, and the year before it was Prince.

This year's guests will get a one-of-a-kind 80th anniversary Cole Haan leather-canvas tote made exclusively for this event and packed with more than 40 high-end products, including memberships to the Sports Club/LA, DVDs from CBS Paramount Home Entertainment, Spanx, Sally Hershberger hair products, fragrances by Estee Lauder and cosmetics by Tarte, Smashbox and Cargo.

Who said swag was dead?

Photo: Last year, Felicity Huffman acted as her own paparazzo with hubby William H. Macy, at the "ET" bash at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
WireImage