Beyonce, Outkast, Usher and Lil Jon Lead Nominations as BET Invades
the Kodak Theatre for Star-Studded Live Telecast
Featuring Today's Brightest Stars
Humanitarian Honoree Danny Glover and Lifetime Achievement Recipients
The Isley Brothers Headline Parade of Honorees
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, June 29, a star
power-infused "black-out" will descend upon Hollywood when BET takes control
of the prestigious Kodak Theatre to honor some of Black entertainment's
leading lights at BET AWARDS '04. At a press conference today in Hollywood,
BET signaled that the countdown has begun for the celebrated network to blaze
into Hollywood recognizing the best-of-the-best in music, sports and acting.
R&B's hottest leading lady Beyonce, Dirty South luminaries Outkast and Lil
Jon, R&B superstar Usher, and newcomer Kanye West top the 2004 list of BET
AWARDS nominees, with Outkast nabbing a record-setting six nods for work from
their double CD "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," including multiple nominations
in the Viewer's Choice and Video of the Year categories for "Hey Ya!" and "The
Way You Move." Outkast also scored Best Collaboration and Best Group
nominations. Beyonce was close behind with five nominations, including Best
Actress and Best Female R&B Artist, and was nominated for her "Crazy In Love"
Jay-Z duet scoring in Best Collaboration, Viewer's Choice and Video of the
Year categories. Lil' John and Usher each netted four nominations, and Kanye
West grabbed three. One of the Original Queens of Comedy also takes center
stage as Mo'Nique, star of the UPN Network's The Parkers, reprises her role as
the first-ever female host of the BET AWARDS telecast.
Some of the brightest stars in music, acting and sports are slated to
appear and perform at BET's triumphant Hollywood return, joined by a veritable
Hollywood "A-list" of nominees and presenters. Janet Jackson, Usher, Outkast
and The Isley Brothers are among the artists expected to light up the stage
with their high-wattage performances.
Danny Glover, Award-winning actor, executive producer and activist, and
Rock & Roll Hall of Famers The Isley Brothers are the top honorees at the
star-studded BET AWARDS '04 show. Glover, the Humanitarian Awardee and The
Isley Brothers, the Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, will lead an all-
star parade of performers, presenters and nominees.
BET has teamed again with Cossette Productions, famed producers of the
Grammy Awards and the past three record-setting BET AWARDS shows, to handle
production of the telecast. Last year's BET AWARDS telecast netted an overall
4.27 Nielsen rating with a whopping 30.0 rating among African Americans (5.5
million households), setting a new precedent as the most-watched entertainment
special in BET's 24-year history. The BET AWARDS show has generated higher
ratings with African-American viewers than any other awards telecast --
including the GRAMMY Awards (R), the Soul Train Awards, Vibe Awards, NAACP
Image Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards, among others.
"Last year's BET Awards ceremony and telecast was a fantastic show with
some once-in-a-lifetime moments," said Debra Lee, BET President and Chief
Operating Officer. "In addition, we again outperformed all other, more well-
established Awards shows in the ratings, which is a significant
accomplishment. We've clearly delivered something that our viewers truly
enjoy. Each year our production gets more exciting and this year will not
disappoint."
BET kicks off its spectacular showcase with a special 106 & PARK: Live
from the Red Carpet pre-show presentation hosted by AJ and Free from 6 - 8
p.m. ET/PT*, capturing the sizzling fashions and arrival excitement of
Hollywood's glamour set. The scene then shifts inside to the Kodak Theatre
for the highly-anticipated three-hour "live" awards telecast at its new time
of 8 p.m. ET/PT* when BET salutes 16 categories across the music, sports and
entertainment spectrum. As an early appetizer, viewers can get a sneak peak
at BET AWARDS '04 and the featured honorees starting with I WANNA THANK MY
MOMMA: BET AWARDS Nomination Special on Tuesday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. BET
will highlight the artists who are nominated and get predictions from the
street on who will take home the hardware; a special award show edition of HOW
I'M LIVING features a look at some of the homes of nominated artists and show
participants; a special 106 & PARK Pre-Awards show on Monday, June 28 at 6
p.m. ET/PT. Then, go behind the scenes of the hottest awards show in the
nation on June 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT as Access Granted: Behind The Scenes of
the Awards Show gives viewers an insider's look at the ins-and-outs of putting
together BET's biggest night of the year. A BET NIGHTLY NEWS Special: Live
from BET AWARDS '04 wraps up the night with a post-show look at the
festivities from 11:00 p.m. ET/PT*.
BET viewers have a unique opportunity to experience the action and
excitement of the BET AWARDS up-close-and-personal this year by attending the
ceremony. Beginning today, May 12, tickets go on sale through all
Ticketmaster outlets and online at http://www.ticketmaster.com. BET AWARDS '04
ticket prices range from $75 - $500.
The BET online audience also has several opportunities to get in on the
Awards Show hype -- from May 10 - May 26, users can prove their status as a
BET "fan-atic" by entering the BET Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes, sponsored by
Reebok. One lucky grand prize winner and a guest will receive round trip air
travel, four days and three nights hotel stay, $5,000 and two tickets to BET
AWARDS '04 show. What's more, BET's Ultimate Fan will have the opportunity to
be a co-presenter of the Viewer's Choice Award at the ceremony with AJ & Free,
hosts of BET's ultra-popular video countdown show, 106 & PARK. To enter,
viewers submit a photo to http://www.BET.com/ultimatefan along with a personal
statement discussing why they should be selected as the "Ultimate Fan." BET's
online community will select the Grand Prize winner from 5 finalists between
May 26 and June 2. Contest rules and details are also available at
http://www.bet.com/ultimatefan.
In addition, BET viewers can also become "virtual" members of the BET
Awards voting academy by logging onto http://www.bet.com to cast their votes for
their favorite performer in the BET.com Viewer's Choice poll, which will take
place in "real-time" during the course of the telecast. Viewers can tune in
to the ceremony to see if their chosen performer won the Viewer's Choice
award, and also check out other interactive features.
While keeping most of the production plans under wraps, Stephen Hill,
BET's Senior Vice President of Music Programming and Talent, said the
combination of high-caliber performances, the legendary stature of the special
honorees and the teamwork of the BET production team with Cossette Productions
should make for another sensational telecast. Additional announcements
regarding more celebrity performers and presenters will be issued as part of
an ongoing series of awards-related announcements leading up to the June 29
event and telecast.
"Each year we try to make the show more dynamic than the previous year,"
said Hill. "Last year Michael Jackson and James Brown wowed viewers with a
surprise on-stage appearance. In keeping with this year's theme we're coming
in '04 with something bigger, better and badder if you can believe that, and
it's going to be huge."
Hill added, "Bringing Mo'Nique back is the perfect sequel. We are so
pleased to have Mo'Nique running things again. Who knows what she will do,
but who cares ... we know that she is going to bring it. This time she's got
ammo that she's not even telling us about and we love that!"
Major sponsors for this year's BET AWARDS telecast include Reebok (RBK),
General Motors, Procter & Gamble and Pepsi. To ensure ratings success, a
multi-tiered marketing strategy has been developed to support the telecast,
including print, television, radio and outdoor advertising, as well as a
significant grassroots promotional campaign and special tie-ins to other
Viacom-owned companies.
BET will televise encore presentations of the BET AWARDS '04 on Tuesday,
July 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The following is a complete list of BET AWARDS '04 nominees:
Best Male R&B Artist Best Actor
Anthony Hamilton Mos Def
R. Kelly Laurence Fishburne
Ruben Studdard Samuel L. Jackson
Usher Bernie Mac
Luther Vandross Denzel Washington
Best Female R&B Artist Best Group
Beyonce Jagged Edge
Mary J. Blige Floetry
Janet G-Unit
Alicia Keys Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Monica Outkast
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Best New Artist
50 Cent Chingy
Chingy Anthony Hamilton
Ludacris Ruben Studdard
Kanye West Kanye West
Jay-Z Pharrell Williams
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist Best Gospel Artist
Da Brat Yolanda Adams
Rah Digga Byron Cage
Missy Elliott Donnie McClurkin
Jackie-O Smokie Norful
M.C. Lyte Vickie Winans
Best Actress Best Collaboration
Halle Berry Beyonce f/Jay-Z - Crazy In Love
Vivica A. Fox Outkast f/Sleepy Brown - The Way You Move
Beyonce Knowles Pharrell f/Jay-Z - Frontin'
Sanaa Lathan Twista f/Kanye West & Jamie Foxx -
Gabrielle Union Slow Jamz
Usher f/Ludacris & Lil Jon - Yeah
Female Athlete of the Year Viewers' Choice
Laila Ali Beyonce - Crazy In Love
Cheryl Ford Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Lisa Leslie f/Yin Yang Twins - Get Low
Serena Williams R. Kelly - Step In The Name Of Love
Venus Williams Outkast - Hey Ya!
Outkast - The Way You Move
Usher f/Ludcris & Lil Jon - Yeah
Kanye West - All Falls Down
Male Athlete of the Year Video of the Year
Carmelo Anthony Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name
Barry Bonds Beyonce f/Jay-Z - Crazy In Love
Shaquille O'Neal Outkast - Hey Ya!
LeBron James Outkast f/Sleepy Brown - The Way You Move
Tiger Woods Usher f/Ludcris & Lil Jon - Yeah
ABOUT BET
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's
leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and
public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network
reaches more than 78 million households according to Nielsen media research,
and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a
dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of
branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1. Internet portal for African-
Americans; BET Digital Networks -- BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip-Hop,
attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event
Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services,
including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound,
lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher
of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque Books label, and
publisher of new imprints Sepia and New Spirit.
ABOUT COSSETTE PRODUCTIONS
Cossette Productions is Hollywood's most unique and comprehensive
production company, with more than 35 years of experience offering diverse and
creative consultation, direction and execution of entertainment production.
To its credit, Cossette Productions has produced 32 years of the Grammy Awards
telecast; eight weekly television series totaling more than 500 episodes;
numerous award-winning Broadway theatrical plays and musicals; 50 major
performance specials, award shows and celebrity tributes; corporate events for
the nation's largest companies; and countless made-for-television motion
pictures and mini-series.
ABOUT KODAK THEATRE
The Kodak Theatre is Southern California's home for the best in fine arts,
live theatre, concerts, award shows and special events. Inspired by the
elegance of a European opera house, with state-of-the-art technical
capabilities, the Kodak Theatre stage has hosted the world's top performers
and shows including Celine Dion, Prince, Dixie Chicks, American Ballet
Theatre, The ESPY Awards, GREASE, Barry Manilow, Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet,
The BET Awards, AFI Life Achievement Award for Tom Hanks, American Idol finals
and others. The David Rockwell designed venue has also hosted special events
including Muhammad Ali's birthday tribute and "Love Rocks," a tribute to U2's
Bono. As the permanent home of the Academy Awards, Kodak Theatre has
established itself as one of America's premier showplaces and Hollywood's
newest attraction. The 180,000-square foot theatre is the centerpiece for
TrizecHahn's 640,000-square-foot Hollywood & Highland retail/entertainment
destination. One of the most ambitious real estate developments in the world,
the $615 million Hollywood & Highland project is the catalyst for a
renaissance that is currently taking place in Hollywood.
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SOURCE BET (Black Entertainment Television)
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Related links:
http://www.bet.com
CONTACT:
Tosha Whitten Griggs, +1-404-763-8656,
tosha.whitten-griggs@bet.net, or Chae Carriere, +1-202-608-2042,
Chandra.carriere@bet.net, both of BET
NOTE TO EDITORS: B-roll containing excerpts from today's press
briefing, video and clips of BET AWARDS '04 nominees and sound
bites from BET executives will be made available via satellite
for news purposes only to electronic outlets nationwide. The
following instructions apply: Feed Times: Wednesday,
May 12 @ 9:00-9:15 p.m. ET Thursday, May 13 @ 3:30 a.m. - 3:45
a.m. ET Footage Length: 7 minutes Satellite Coordinates:
Telestar 5 Transponder 23 C-Band Downlink Freq: 4160 Vertical
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