NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today, BET Networks announces Taraji P. Henson as the host of the “BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™” 2017 Awards, which will tape on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Prudential Hall in Newark, NJ and premiere on Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 8:00 P.M./ET on BET. Created by celebrity DJ and women’s empowerment advocate Beverly Bond, the “BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™” 2017 Awards honors the groundbreaking achievements of Black women who have fearlessly broken barriers in the areas of art, business, entertainment and community service.
“I’m honored to host the ‘BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™’ Awards. I love the message and I love Beverly Bond and her vision. I was lucky to be honored in 2011. It is truly a highlight of my life. Now I’m back to be part of this amazing night to honor the strong and powerful Yara, Issa Rae, Roberta, Suzanne, Derrica and Natalie. Let’s make history together as we come together as women of brains, beauty and in support of each other,” said Henson.
Taraji P. Henson starred in the Academy Award nominated FOX Feature Hidden Figures based on the life of Katherine Johnson at NASA. The cast received Best Ensemble at the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Taraji received the 2016 Golden Globe for Best Actress in Drama Series, Critic’s Choice Award and two Emmy nominations for her star turn as Cookie Lyon in the groundbreaking and award winning hit series Empire. Taraji released her NY Times Best Seller Around The Way Girl published by Simon and Schuster October 2016. She stars in the three features Acrimony/Lionsgate, Proud Mary/Sony and the independent film Best of Enemies set for release in 2018. Taraji has received seven NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress and Entertainer of the Year. She also received five BET Awards for her work in film and television.
This year, the three-time NAACP Award-winning “BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™” Awards celebrates “Insecure” creator, actress, writer and producer Issa Rae (Star Power Award), actress and activist Yara Shahidi (Young Gifted and Black Award), GRAMMY Award-winning songstress Roberta Flack (Living Legend Award), Wall Street powerhouse and pioneer Suzanne Shank (Shot Caller Award) and Community organizers Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson of The Black & Missing Foundation (Community Change Agent Award).
The televised special is a BET Networks, B.G.R. Enterprises Inc./BONDVISION MEDIA and Jesse Collins Entertainment production. The executive producers are Beverly Bond, CEO, Founder and Creator of “BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™”, Connie Orlando, Interim Head of Programming for BET Networks and Jesse Collins and Jeannae Rouzan – Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
For updates or more information about BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ™ visit http://www.BET.com/blackgirlsrock and www.blackgirlsrock.com
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ABOUT BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ™:
Founded by celebrity DJ, model and executive producer, Beverly Bond, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ™ is a multifaceted movement dedicated to shifting the culture of media images depicting Black women and girls. Since 2006, BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ has been committed to empowering women through media and enriching girls through leadership, education, and positive identity development programs. For additional information on BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ™, visit http://www.blackgirlsrock.com.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: 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 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. 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; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT:
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran and multi-Image Award® winner Jesse Collins. Collins has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Most recently Collins was the executive producer of the critically-acclaimed film, The New Edition Story, a biopic on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series on BET in January 2017 and posted record ratings for the network and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. Collins has also produced award-winning programming including the BET Awards, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, ABFF Honors, Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards, is a consulting producer for the iconic GRAMMY Awards and executive producer of BET’s hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and VH1 shows Dear Mama and Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube. Will Smith, Beyonce, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey are a few of the myriad of superstar talent that Collins has worked with through the years. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.
ABOUT NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER:
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States. It is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey -- where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey’s Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State’s and the world’s best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over seven million visitors (including more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit http://www.njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.
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