Hosted By D.L. Hughley, "BET AWARDS '08" Features Performances by Ne-Yo,
Rihanna, Keyshia Cole, Marvin Sapp, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West,
Lil Wayne, Nelly, Usher and Young Jeezy, With Appearances by Terrence
Howard, Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gabrielle
Union, Mary Mary, Lauren London and Kevin Hart
Jill Scott Confirmed to Perform Tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award
Recipient Al Green
Quincy Jones to Receive 2008 BET Humanitarian Award
NEW YORK, June 23 -- Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole, Usher,
Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Nelly, Marvin Sapp, and
Young Jeezy are all on board to perform at BET AWARDS '08. In addition, LL
Cool J, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Terrence Howard, Jennifer Hudson,
Gabrielle Union, Mary Mary, Lauren London and Kevin Hart will be on hand as
presenters, and Jill Scott will perform a special tribute to legendary R&B
icon Al Green, who is receiving BET's Lifetime Achievement Award. Quincy
Jones, celebrated producer/arranger/composer, is also being honored this
year with BET's prestigious Humanitarian Award for his outreach to young
African-Americans through the Listen Up Foundation. Hosted by actor and
comedian D.L. Hughley, BET AWARDS '08 premieres live from Los Angeles'
Shrine Auditorium on Tuesday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m.*
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080603/NETU049LOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )
Tagged as "the hottest ticket on television," BET AWARDS '08 brings
together the biggest stars in music, sports and entertainment for an
electrifying evening. For the past seven years, the BET AWARDS has boasted
unforgettable moments such as Michael Jackson's surprise appearance during
James Brown's tribute; Rick James in his final duet with Teena Marie; Will
Smith presenting Muhammad Ali with the first-ever Humanitarian Award;
Prince onstage backing Chaka Khan; Stevie Wonder, Yolanda Adams and India
Arie in a powerhouse tribute to Rufus' first lady of funk; Destiny's
Child's steamy lap dance; the reunion of one of hip hop's most beloved
trios, The Fugees; and last year's touching opening performance with
Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Holliday.
BET has once again teamed up with Cossette Productions, the famed
producers of the GRAMMY Awards(R) and the seven record-setting BET AWARDS
shows, to handle production of the telecast. Stephen Hill, BET Executive
Vice President, Music and Programming, along with Lynne Harris-Taylor, BET
Vice President of Specials, will executive produce the telecast.
BET AWARDS '08 will be sponsored by Dodge, Pepsi, Verizon Wireless,
General Motors, P&G, Target, CIROC Vodka and Ford.
Log onto BET.com for BET On Blast video highlights, photos and
continuous BET AWARDS '08 updates at http://www.bet.com/betawards.
*All times ET/PT
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The
primary BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to
Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the
Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a
diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading internet
destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital
Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for
cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale
event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a
collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs
and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video
content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET
network programming for global distribution.
See Also
