Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, Stephen Moyer, Victoria Justice, Ariel Winter and Others Join Host Nick Cannon at First-Ever Live TeenNick Halo Awards

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, Stephen Moyer, Victoria Justice and Ariel Winter were among the celebs who took to the Hollywood Palladium stage to join host Nick Cannon for the first-ever TeenNick HALO Awards live event.  The third annual TeenNick HALO Awards was held today and will air as a 90-minute special premiering Sunday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), on Nick at Nite.  Conceived, hosted and executive-produced by Cannon, the awards show recognizes and celebrates real teens who are "Helping and Leading Others" (HALO).  

During the star-studded evening, Blige rocked the stage performing her new single, "25/8" with Nuttin' But Stringz and closed the show with "The Living Proof" – both off her upcoming album My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1), in stores Nov. 21.  Sixteen-year-old Adele Taylor was surprised with a HALO Award, given a grant for her cause and serenaded by Derulo who dedicated his hit song, "It Girl," to her in recognition of her commitment to promoting literacy.  Taylor and the four existing teen honorees also each received a baton-shaped HALO award and scholarship fund from superstar presenters including Klum (2011 Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Ambassador), Williams (UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador), Moyer (Facing the Atlantic), Justice (Girl Up Champion) and Winter (GLSEN), as well as other special surprises on stage.  Also, charitable celebs Slash (Los Angeles Youth Network), Wilmer Valderrama (Voto Latino) and Kris Allen (DonorsChoose.org), as well as Nickelodeon's live action stars, attended the event and special guest DJ Connor Cruise spun tunes, joining in the celebration of the extraordinary teens and their service contributions.  

Previously announced HALO Award honorees -- James O'Dwyer, Emily-Anne Rigal, Shanoah Washington and Kyle Weiss – were surprised by a visit from Cannon, awarded a grant for their cause and given an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and connect with a mega-celebrity who shares a similar passion for their cause.  Their celebrity matches are Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jessica Biel and David Beckham, respectively, and their taped segments will be featured in the show.    

This year's HALO honorees are:

• Adele Taylor, 16, Williamstown, NJ (paired with Jason Derulo) - An avid and enthusiastic reader, Adele Taylor, of Williamstown, N.J., grew up understanding the value of literacy.  After learning that one in five adults can't read, she decided to take action.  In December 2008, at age 13, this exuberant young lady created the organization Adele's Literacy Library, with the goal of promoting literacy among people of all ages.  Adele is honored by Jason Derulo who supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation among other charitable efforts.  

• James O'Dwyer, 19, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (paired with Taylor Swift) – James was a freshman at University of Alabama when the devastating EF4 tornado hit Tuscaloosa, leaving a six mile track of destruction across the region.  He started Magnolia Disaster Relief, an aid program that targets small rural towns hit the hardest by tornadoes by delivering food, water, clothing, toys, furniture and fridges so affected people can start rebuilding their lives.  James's HALO match is Taylor Swift who, among her many philanthropic endeavors, raises money and awareness to benefit those affected by tornadoes and floods.  

• Emily-Anne Rigal, 17, Williamsburg, Va. (paired with Lady Gaga) – As a young overweight girl, Emily-Anne was bullied so harshly she was forced to switch schools.  Recognizing how upsetting her experience with bullying had been, she decided to create WeStopHate.org, a teen-run YouTube channel and website, which helps combat bullying by motivating teens to share their own stories of triumph and give tips to others on how they too can prevail.  Her HALO match, Lady Gaga, is one of Emily-Anne's greatest role models and campaigns for anti-bullying laws, encouraging teens to be themselves.  

• Shanoah Washington, 18, St. Petersburg, Fla. (paired with Jessica Biel) – Born in California, Shanoah's home life was plagued with gang violence until her grandmother moved her to Florida and enrolled her at the local Boys & Girls Club, providing her with guidance to reach her full potential.  She created Sista2Sista, a mentoring program which aims to motivate young girls through the development of self-esteem, honesty, self-discipline and positive thinking.  Shanoah's HALO match is Jessica Biel who works with Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation campaign that rallies girls in the U.S. to help give girls in developing countries a better future.

• Kyle Weiss, 18, Danville, Calif. (paired with David Beckham) – A huge soccer fan, Kyle's activism was sparked after speaking to Angolan fans at the 2006 World Cup and learning about the dire state of the country and lack of sports resources available to the youth of Africa.  Kyle and his brother started FUNDaFIELD, an organization that fundraises to build soccer fields in developing countries in Africa.  Kyle's HALO match is David Beckham, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, who campaigns and fundraises to establish education and recreational programs involving soccer for children around the world.

Presenting sponsors of the third annual TeenNick HALO Awards are Chevrolet, COVERGIRL, Dove, Reese's ® Puffs cereal, and Target.  During the live taping, each sponsor surprised their respective teen HALO Award honorees with the following:

• Chevrolet funded a donation of soccer and other sports equipment for Kyle Weiss's FUNDaFIELD organization.  
• To support Emily-Anne Rigal, COVERGIRL provided WeStopHate bracelets for her to sell on her website with all proceeds going to her WeStopHate cause.  Audience members also donned WeStopHate bracelets during the live taping.
• Dove rewarded Shanoah Washington and the 40+ girls in her organization with a self-esteem workshop to take place in the Sista2Sista headquarters, which is also set to receive a new look and re-design from Dove.  
• Reese's ® Puffs cereal donated much needed provisions to a local food bank in support of James O'Dwyer's Magnolia Disaster Relief efforts.  
• Target donated 25,000 books to three deserving Newark schools in Adele Taylor's home state of New Jersey in support of Adele's Literacy Library.

The TeenNick HALO Awards is a TeenNick Original produced by Nick Cannon, Lauren Lazin and Alex Coletti Productions.  

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SOURCE Nickelodeon