AMONG THE songs performed at the Israel Prize awards ceremony at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on Wednesday night was the song "Zeh Koreh" (It Happens), made famous by the late Arik Lavie. This time it was a duet, with Keren Peles singing live along with a video backdrop of a Lavie rendition of the song. It was immensely effective and a great way to honor an extremely popular singer who is no longer in the land of the living.

TELEVISION CAMERAS capturing the Israel Prize awards for posterity were trained not only on musical composer and archivist Nachum Heiman, but also on his daughter, Si Heiman, who was sitting in the audience and who wept tears of joy for the honor bestowed on her father. Both father and daughter are favorites of radio talk show hosts, and ever since it was announced that he would be receiving the Israel Prize, each of the two have been interviewed on the radio on several different shows.

SOME MONTHS ago, there was speculation in the Hebrew media that city councils would not be able to afford to hire celebrity singers for Independence Day. Well, it didn't quite work that way. While people still climbing the celebrity ladder were employed at various events celebrating Israel's 61st anniversary, most of the big name celebrities were also employed - at fees of up to NIS 100,000. Yediot Aharonot filled two pages with the figures that some singers were paid to perform on the holiday. Maya Buskila, who arguably gets a lot more publicity than Rita, is paid considerably less for an appearance. Rita reportedly gets NIS 100,000, whereas Buskila gets only half that sum - and sometimes less. Dana International also gets less than Rita, even though she won a Eurovision contest, with prices from NIS 60,000 to NIS 80,000 per performance. Zvika Pik is in more or less the same income bracket, while Sarit Hadad, despite her enormous popularity, earns from NIS 80,000 to NIS 100,000. Ivri Lider receives between NIS 60,000 and NIS 70,000. He appeared in Ramat Gan on Yom Ha'atzmaut, as did Mosh Ben-Ari, Gidi Gov, Amir Fay Guttman, Keren Peles and Miri Mesika. Maya Buskila was in Ashkelon and Sderot, Aviv Geffen in Ramat Hasharon, Pablo Rosenberg in Ashdod, Sderot and Ofakim; Lior Narkis was in Beersheba, Glikeria in Kiryat Yam, Sarit Hadad in Kiryat Bialik and Kiryat Ata, Rita was in Petah Tikva and Lider was also there, while Harel Skaat, Subliminal and Tal Mussari were in Nesher. That's only a short list, but it indicates that those entertainers who appeared in two or three places on the one night did very nicely for themselves - and so did the income tax authorities.

DESPITE THE cattiness which is part and parcel of the world of entertainment, people in Israel's entertainment industry are generally pretty good about celebrating each other's success - which is why Sarit Hadad, Lior Narkis, Yana Kalman, Lior Farhi, Didi Harari and others flocked to the Coliseum Club in Tel Aviv to celebrate the release of singer Eyal Golan's CD Zeh Ani (This is Me). The party was almost by way of a birthday celebration, as Golan turned 38 last month. Also present was Golan's ex-wife, model Ilanit Levi, with whom he has a most amicable relationship. Other attendees included former international football stars Itzik Zohar and Haim Revivo, Betar footballers Aviram Bruchian and Barak Yitzhaki and other celebs who are household names.

YOU DON'T always have to be a winner to succeed. Singer, actress and TV hostess Shiri Maimon, who was runner-up in the first Kochav Nolad (A Star is Born) season and came in fourth in the 2005 Eurovision contest, has been voted best female singer of the year by Channel 24 viewers and readers of Rosh 1, the Yediot Aharonot youth magazine.

AFTER BEING replaced in the affections of Yehuda Levi by Ninet Tayeb, actress Efrat Boimwald had a number of brief romances before finding her true Prince Charming in stock trader Ofer Eisenberg. The couple plans to marry on May 14 in the courtyard of Eisenberg's home in Rishpon, after which they will eagerly await the birth of their daughter, due in August.

Celebrity Grapevine

Shiri Maimon has been voted best female singer of the year by Channel 24 viewers.