White House Correspondents' Dinner: Stars, Politicians, Journalists Convene for 'Nerd Prom'

April 27, 2013— -- Glitz and glamour will take center stage tonight in the nation's capital as Hollywood's biggest stars, politicians and journalists convene for the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.

It's the one place the President of the United States may cross paths with his television counterpart, Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitzgerald Grant on ABC's "Scandal."

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Along with Goldwyn, the star of "Scandal," Kerry Washington, will be in attendance at the event, which is affectionally referred to as the "Nerd Prom."

"Modern Family" stars Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Sofia Vergara will also be sitting at the ABC table, along with"Nashville" stars Connie Britton, Hayden Panetierre and Charles Esten.

Comedian Conan O'Brien, who hosted the 1995 dinner, seemed confident and ready to take on the high-profile hosting gig again tonight.

"Just rehearsed my routine to an empty ballroom at the Washington Hilton. The one guy unfolding chairs loved it," he tweeted this afternoon.

But O'Brien won't be the only person telling jokes.

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As in years past, one of the highlights of the evening is expected to be when the president takes the podium to poke fun at himself and his political opponents.

President Obama has previously used the opportunity to joke about everything from the controversy over his birth certificate to his age and last year, even taking aim at his opponent, Mitt Romney.

"It's great to be here this evening in the vast, magnificent Hilton ballroom — or what Mitt Romney would call a little fixer-upper," the president quipped in a memorable moment from last year's dinner.

Earlier in the day, the president golfed at Joint Base Andrews with former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and White House aides Marvin Nicholson and Michael Brush.

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This is also the fourth year in a row that the White House Correspondents' Association has honored an ABC News journalist with the prestigious Merriman Smith Award. "Nightline" anchor Terry Moran will be presented with the award for broadcast coverage at the dinner tonight for his reporting on the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

Proceeds from the dinner help fund more than $100,000 in scholarships, according to the White House Correspondents' Association website.