Multi-Award Winning R&B Sensation R. Kelly Kicks Off the Most Soulful Night in Entertainment at the SOUL TRAIN AWARDS on Sunday, November 28 at 9:00 PM*

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The second annual SOUL TRAIN AWARDS gears up for a highly anticipated show on Wednesday, November 10 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in metropolitan Atlanta, GA.  Hosted by Oscar-nominated actors Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, the 2010 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS will premiere on both CENTRIC and BET on Sunday, November 28 at 9:00 PM*. Grammy-award winning R&B superstar R. Kelly will open the show with a dynamite performance, followed by today's hottest artists Ne-Yo, Cee-lo, Keyshia Cole, Rick Ross, Erykah Badu, Eric Benet, Chrisette Michele, Lalah Hathaway, Faith Evans, Janelle Monae, Gyptian, Freddie Jackson, Jeffrey Osborne, Tamia, and Tank who will light up the stage with performances and never-before seen collaborations to honor the best in Soul Train and this year's Legend Award recipients Anita Baker and Ron Isley.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100315/NE70582LOGO )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100315/NE70582LOGO )

The SOUL TRAIN AWARDS will recognize the achievements of today's best entertainers in 12 categories. Entertainment heavyweights Alicia Keys and Usher are leading the pack with 4 individual nominations across multiple categories. Alicia Keys' nominations include Best R&B/Soul Artist Female, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Record of the Year. Usher gets nominations in Best R&B/Soul Artist Male, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Dance Performance. Drake is closely behind with 3 nominations (Best Hip Hop Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Record of the Year) and is followed by 2 nominations for artists Monica, Ne-Yo, B.O.B., Nicki Minaj, Dondria, Erykah Badu, Fantasia, Janelle Monae, and Sade.

The SOUL TRAIN AWARDS is produced by Sunseeker Media and directed by Jonathan X, in collaboration with BET Event Productions. Paxton Baker, CENTRIC Executive Vice President and General Manager, Tami Willis-Arasli, CENTRIC Vice President of Specials and Music Programming; Bart Phillips, Sunseeker Media; and Soul Train Holdings' Kenard Gibbs, and Anthony Maddox will all be the executive producers of the network telecast.

For more information, please visit www.centrictv.com.  

*All times ET/PT

About CENTRIC

Centric is a 24-hour music and entertainment channel that reflects the lifestyle and sophistication of today's African-American and multicultural adult viewer.  With a finger on the pulse of an ever-changing beat, its compelling music content fuses Soul, R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae, Gospel, Jazz, Old School, New School and everything in between with today's hottest artists. It is a unique of mix of music, culture and lifestyle programming that embodies the lives, tastes and aspirations of the CENTRIC viewer: All you. All day. All night.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary 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 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 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 and Intermedia Partners. Madvision was created by media and entertainment veterans, Kenard Gibbs, Peter Griffith, and Anthony Maddox. The group was created following the acquisition of the iconic franchise and catalog of more than 1,100 hours of archival 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.  

SOURCE CENTRIC