WILL SMITH TO PERFORM ON CULTURE’S BIGGEST NIGHT, “BET AWARDS” 2024

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“BET AWARDS” 2024 WILL AIR LIVE SUNDAY, JUNE 30 AT 8 PM ET/ PT ON BET

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#BETAWARDS

 #CULTURESBIGGESTNIGHT

New York, NY – June 24, 2024 – Today, BET announced a major addition to Culture’s Biggest Night, “BET Awards'' 2024. Academy Award® winning actor, producer, and multiplatinum, 4-time GRAMMY® winning recording artist Will Smith will debut a new original song LIVE at “BET Awards” 2024. Academy Award® nominated and Golden Globe® winning actor, author, director, producer, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson will return to host, and GRAMMY® award-winning global entertainment icon USHER will be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement BET Award. “BET Awards” 2024, will air LIVE on Sunday, June 30 on BET at 8 pm ET/ PT.

"From his start as a rapper to The Fresh Prince to being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon, and we are honored to welcome him back to grace the BET Awards stage,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to be missed."

This exclusive performance adds to an already stellar line-up of performers, including GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Ms. Lauryn Hill &YG Marley, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla, and Victoria Monét. Additionally, Tanner Adell will perform on the BET Amplified stage.

“BET Awards” has been the #1 cable award show among all adults 18-49 for the last three consecutive years and is the #1 cable award show among Black adults 18-49 for the 22nd consecutive year (CY02-CY23). “BET Awards” is the ultimate platform to showcase the best, brightest, and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience – honoring the present and future of Black music, creativity, and sportsmanship, by celebrating the culture and being a driving force for social change.

Drake leads “BET Awards” 2024 nominations with an outstanding seven nods. The official “BET Awards” 2024 nominees were selected by a voting academy of esteemed music industry insiders, performers, and presenters. Click HERE for the complete list of “BET Awards” 2024 nominees.

Vote now for “BET Awards” 2024 Viewer’s Choice Award. Voting ends June 30, 2024, at 6:30 PM PT/ 9:30 PM ET.

BET.com/bet-awards is the official site for “BET Awards” 2024 and is the official source for the latest news and updates about this year's show. Follow us @BET and @BETAWARDS.

Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, will oversee and Executive Produce the annual show, with Jamal Noisette, SVP of Tentpoles & Music Community Engagement, to also Executive Produce for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company for the show, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as Executive Producers.

BET is transforming Culture’s Biggest Night into Culture’s Biggest Week with BET Experience 2024, promising the ultimate in Black culture and entertainment. With a lineup of culture’s most influential artists, including Cardi B, Davido, Gunna, Sexyy Red, The Roots, Common, Queen Latifah, Jungle Brothers, and many more electrifying artists, experts, and tastemakers, the week promises to be one to remember.

Attendees will enjoy unforgettable live performances, comedy shows, culture-shifting conversations, immersive workshops, and much more! Anchoring this year’s Experience is fan-favorite BETX 2024 Fan Fest, a free, all-ages two-day cultural festival taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29. For more information, visit BETExperience.com.

For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements, visit betpressroom.com.

ABOUT BET

The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA), is the world’s largest media company dedicated to entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community and championing Black culture. Connecting Black audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is a thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events and international.

For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements, visit betpressroom.com.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”

“BET Awards” is one of the most-watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is the #1 telecast for BET every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

About Jesse Collins Entertainment
Founded in 2012, Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service Emmy winning production company that has played an integral role in producing many of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment.  JCE's award-winning and critically acclaimed television includes programming from its three divisions.  From the scripted division: scripted series—Real Husbands of Hollywood, American Soul and miniseries—The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story.  From the unscripted division: unscripted series – Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50, Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans, Cardi Tries, My Killer Body with K. Michelle, DJ Cassidy's Pass the Mic and Forward: The Future of Black Music, competition/game shows—Celebrity Squares, Becoming A Popstar, Rhythm + Flow, Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares and Nashville Squares, talk shows – Yara Shahidi's Day Off and Face to Face with Becky G, and children's series—Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Daytime Emmy Award winner).  From the specials division: award shows—The Emmy Awards, The American Music Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF's An Evening of Stars and ABFF Honors, specials—The Super Bowl Halftime Show (Primetime Emmy Award winner), The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey (Primetime Emmy® Award nominee), A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop, Lil Rel Howery: I said it. Y'all thinking it., CNN's Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom, Martin: The Reunion, John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, A GRAMMY Salute to the Sounds of Change, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin', Def Comedy Jam 25, Leslie Jones: Time Machine, The All-Star Nickmas Spectacular and Rip the Runway.  Emmy winner Jesse Collins, Founder and CEO, is the executive producer of all JCE programming.  He is also an executive producer for the annual Grammy Awards and the 75^th Annual Emmy Awards.  Collins also produced the 2021 Oscars and 2022 Golden Globes.

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“BET Awards” 2024 Media Contacts:

Chloe Duverge

Chloe.Duverge@bet.net

Luis Defrank

Luis.Defrank@bet.net

SUNSHINE SACHS MORGAN & LYLIS CONTACTS:

betawards@ssmandl.com