McDonald's 365Black Awards to Recognize Remarkable Leaders in Entertainment, Humanitarianism, Business, Sports and Inspiration for Dedication to Serving Communities

McDonald's 365Black Awards to Recognize Remarkable Leaders in Entertainment, Humanitarianism, Business, Sports and Inspiration for Dedication to Serving Communities

11th annual awards program to feature sensational performances by today's hottest stars

OAK BROOK, Ill., June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the 11(th) annual McDonald's 365Black Awards, the company will honor individuals who make positive contributions to the community at this year's star-studded event. Hosted by actor/television correspondent Terrence Jenkins and actress Tika Sumpter, the awards show will be held Saturday, July 5, 2014, during the 20(th) anniversary of the ESSENCE Festival(TM) presented by Coca Cola® in New Orleans. The show is known for drawing a number of top celebrity attendees, many of whom will grace the golden carpet prior to the show. Surprise musical performances will make this highly-anticipated show a not-to-be missed event.

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McDonald's 365Black Awards are given annually to salute outstanding individuals who are committed to making positive contributions that strengthen the African-American community. This year's honorees include: civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton; music executive and entrepreneur Kevin Liles; film producer Will Packer; inspirational leader Iyanla Vanzant; former NFL athlete Dhani Jones and McDonald's Owner/Operator Henry Coaxum. Additionally, artist Skyler Grey and entrepreneur Gabrielle Jordan Williams will be recognized alongside this lineup with the first-ever McDonald's 365Black Community Choice Youth Award.

"We are excited to recognize these outstanding individuals for their incomparable contributions to the community," said Rob Jackson, McDonald's U.S. marketing director. "Like our honorees, McDonald's is committed to being deeply rooted in the communities we serve 365 days a year. That's why we strive to continually create positive platforms, such as the 365Black Awards, that bring social awareness to areas that are important to our neighbors."

Prior to the ceremony, television correspondent Janell Snowden will cover celebrity action from the golden carpet, wearing fashion designed exclusively by TraVonne Walker, Bowie State University undergraduate and winner of the 2014 McCafe - Harlem's Fashion Row® University Student Design Competition. Walker will work with reality television fashion design competition alum Kimberly Goldson to perfect the memorable look.

McDonald's 365Black Awards launched in 2003 as an extension of the company's 365Black platform, which celebrates the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans year-round. The 2014 program is a free, ticketed event. Visit www.eventfarm.com/365BlackAwards2014 to register for tickets.

Those who miss the live awards ceremony can still share in the experience by watching the broadcast on BET Networks on August 10 at 10 p.m. EDT/9 p.m. CDT. The awards ceremony will also air on CENTRIC on August 17 at 11 p.m. EDT/10 p.m. CDT. Additionally, fans can follow @McDonalds on Twitter for updates on the awards show and join the conversation using #365BlackAwards.

About McDonald's
McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 27 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit http://www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. To learn more about the 365Black initiative, visit http://www.365Black.com.

About BET Networks:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), 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 operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates: 365Black, McCafe and McDonald's. ©2014 McDonald's

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SOURCE McDonald's USA, LLC

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McDonald's USA, LLC

CONTACT: Kristen Wells, McDonald's USA, kristen.wells@us.mcd.com, (630) 623-2901, or Paris Ivory-Taylor, Burrell Communications, pivory@burrell.com, (312) 297-9777

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


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