BET's Hit Gospel Singing Competition 'SUNDAY BEST' Makes Its Divine Return This Easter Premiering Sunday, April 4 at 8:00 p.m.*

NEW YORK, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Premiering on Easter Sunday, April 4 at 8:00 p.m.,* BET's hit singing competition SUNDAY BEST returns for a third season of higher praise and tougher competition. Hosted by gospel legend Kirk Franklin, the new season welcomes gospel recording artists Pastor Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams to the stellar team of judges including returning multi-award winning siblings Erica and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary. Making U.S. stops in Detroit, New Orleans and Philadelphia, SUNDAY BEST season 3 throws the net even wider to include auditions in Lagos, Nigeria. 

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The premiere episode of SUNDAY BEST season 3 will be dedicated to the first ever international auditions in West Africa. Host Kirk Franklin, new judge Pastor Donnie McClurkin and guest judges Kim Burrell and British Nigerian gospel artist Muyiwa Olarewaju venture to Lagos, Nigeria to audition over 1,000 hopefuls all vying for a spot to travel to New Orleans  and compete on the main stage to be BET's SUNDAY BEST. In addition to the coveted title of SUNDAY BEST, the winner of season three will receive a brand new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and prizes from Degree Nature Effects and Colgate. Additional sponsors for SUNDAY BEST season three include Pillsbury Grands, Nationwide, General Mills and Design Essentials.        

During each week's hour-long competition, viewers will be treated to the entertaining and sometimes hilarious audition process followed by musical performances from the SUNDAY BEST top 20 contestants. Fans can expect a season filled with candid feedback from the all-star team of judges and surprise visits from an array of celebrity mentors. SUNDAY BEST is a 12 week series executive produced by D'Angela Proctor Sneed and Nia T. Hill of Strange Fruit Media, Kirk Franklin and Erica and Tina Campbell.

For up-to-the-minute information, exclusive footage and photos on SUNDAY BEST, please visit www.bet.com. Also, follow SUNDAY BEST on twitter, www.twitter.com/SundayBest3.

*All times ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: 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 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 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.

SOURCE BET Networks