Oscar Nominated Actors Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard Join Forces to Host 'CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS' Show with First Network Premiere on Sunday, November 29 at 9:00 PM*

Oscar Nominated Actors Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard Join Forces to Host 'CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS' Show with First Network Premiere on Sunday, November 29 at 9:00 PM*

CENTRIC Brings Back Love, Peace and Soul in a Two-Hour SOUL TRAIN Music Special Celebrating Music's Icons

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- CENTRIC announces the return of the SOUL TRAIN AWARDS, the classic music awards show that highlights R&B music's finest, and bridges the gap between the soulful sounds of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Academy Award nominated actors Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard are slated to co-host the music special, which will tape at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, November 3 and will premiere on both CENTRIC and BET in a special simulcast at 9:00 PM*.

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The CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS special will honor the longstanding careers and musical influences of legendary artists Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, L.A. Reid and Kenny "Baby Face" Edmonds. The special will also celebrate soul music's legacy and the numerous artists who've helped pave the way for today's crop of performers. The CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS are guaranteed to take viewers on a soul-stirring ride through Soul Train's most memorable moments, as well as feature thrilling performances from today's hottest artists.

"We are very proud to welcome the SOUL TRAIN AWARDS show to CENTRIC," stated Paxton Baker, CENTRIC's General Manager and Executive Vice President. "The Soul Train brand is part of the very fabric of African American Culture, and has played a vital role in shaping the musical framework and tastes of CENTRIC's 25- to 54- year old audience. It is our goal for this show to become a favorite staple among CENTRIC viewers."

"We are pleased to re-launch the iconic Soul Train Awards on the new CENTRIC network," said Kenard Gibbs, Co-CEO of Soul Train Holdings. "The team at Centric clearly respects the iconic history of the brand and are prepared to bring it back with the same energy, passion, and excitement that became the hallmark of the brand throughout its 38 year history."

Academy Award Nominee Taraji P. Henson earned her nomination for Best Supporting Actress opposite Brad Pitt in David Fincher's highly acclaimed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This role also brought her Best Actress accolades from BET and the NAACP Image Awards. She is currently starring in Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself, which opened to number one at the box office. Taraji costars in Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carrell scheduled for 2010 release. She is currently filming Kung Fu Kid opposite Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan on location in Beijing for Columbia Pictures. Also set for 2010 release, Taraji plays Rainn Wilson's love interest in the indie comedy Peep World.

Recently, Taraji was honored along with Halle Berry and Diahann Carroll at Essence Magazine's Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Taraji stars in the upcoming dramas Once Fallen with Ed Harris and Brian Presley and in Hurricane Season opposite Forest Whitaker and Lil' Wayne. She had a leading role in Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys with Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard and she starred in Sony's Not Easily Broken opposite Morris Chestnut.

Henson was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Feature Film at the 2005 Black Movie Awards and received the Best Actress nod at the 2006 BET Awards for her performance in Hustle & Flow.

Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard exploded onto the Hollywood movie scene in 2005 after delivering powerful performances Academy Award-winning Crash and the critically acclaimed film Hustle and Flow.

For his performances, Howard garnered multiple nominations including Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actor, as well as awards for Breakthrough Actor by the National Board of Review, Movieline and the Gotham Awards. Crowned as the "Indie Film King" by Entertainment Weekly, he has also received the Rising Star Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Renaissance Artist Award from the Diversity Awards and the Career Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.

Terrence most recently starred in Dito Montiel's Fighting with Channing Tatum and in Paramount's Iron Man opposite Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges, which is based off of the famed comic-book series. He will next be seen in LucasFilms' Red Tails and Little Murder and can be heard in Disney's animated The Princess and the Frog. A self-taught musician, Howard plays both the piano and the guitar. His musical talents were first seen on the big screen opposite Jamie Foxx in 2004's Ray for which they both earned a SAG nomination. In 2008, Howard released his debut album Shine A Light with Columbia Records, which he wrote, produced and performed.

The CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS is produced by Sunseeker Media and directed by Alex Coletti, in collaboration with BET Event Productions. Paxton Baker, CENTRIC Executive Vice President and General Manager; Essie Chambers, CENTRIC Senior Vice President of Programming; Tami Willis-Arasli, CENTRIC Vice President of Production; Bart Phillips, Sunseeker Media; and Soul Train Holdings' Kenard Gibbs, Peter Griffith, and Anthony Maddox will all be the executive producers of the network telecast.

Tickets for the CENTRIC PRESENTS: 2009 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS show are by invite only and not available for purchase.

   *All times ET/PT    About CENTRIC  

CENTRIC is a 24-hour entertainment channel featuring originals, movies, music and reality programming that reflects the lifestyle and sophistication of today's African-American and multicultural adult viewer. Its compelling content infuses a unique mix of music, culture and style that embody the lives, tastes, and aspirations of the CENTRIC viewer: All You. All Day. All Night.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE: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 98 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 businesses 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 Soul Train Holdings

Soul Train Holdings was formed in May 2008 by MadVision Entertainment, an urban-focused content company, and InterMedia Partners, a private equity investment firm. MadVision was created in 2006 by media and entertainment veterans Kenard Gibbs, Peter Griffith, and Anthony Maddox. Soul Train Holdings was formed following MadVision's acquisition of the iconic Soul Train franchise and now owns the catalog of over 1,100 hours of episodes, 300,000 photos and 500 hours of awards show footage from Don Cornelius Productions.

Soul Train is a registered trademark of Soul Train Holdings, LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Soul Train is the longest running, first -run, nationally syndicated program in television history. During its 37 year run, the show featured such staples as the Soul Train line and performers as important and diverse as: Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Janet Jackson and Beyonce, to name a few.

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http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Jeanine Liburd, +1-212-205-3011, jeanine.liburd@bet.net, or
Lyntina Townsend, +1-202-608-2745, lyntina.townsend@bet.net, both of BET
Networks for CENTRIC; or Dave Cirilli for SOUL TRAIN, +1-646-727-0063,
dave@giantnoise.com

Web Site: http://www.bet.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment