The 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards Announces Maroon 5 as This Year's House Band

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 20, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Maroon 5 will be taking center stage at this year's Critics' Choice Movie Awards as the evening's house band where they will perform classic hits as well a few of their original songs between awards and commercials. They will also perform in the middle of the red carpet during the live pre-show in addition to the official after-party – a first for a Critics' Choice Movie Awards house band. Maroon 5 is fronted by lead singer Adam Levine in addition to keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, lead guitarist James Valentine and drummer Matt Flynn. The 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards will air live on VH1 on Friday, January 14, 2011 at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

Capturing their first of three Grammy Awards as "Best New Artist" of 2005 and going on to sell more than 15 million albums worldwide, Maroon 5 won over fans and critics alike with the hybrid rock/R&B sound they introduced on their debut album Songs About Jane. They followed up with the double platinum album, It Won't be Soon Before Long, which included hits like "Makes Me Wonder" and "If I Never See your Face Again." In September 2010, the band released their third studio album Hands All Over, which was produced by studio legend Robert John "Mutt" Lange and notched a #2 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. Most recently Maroon 5 received a Grammy Award nomination for "Misery," the debut single off Hands All Over in the category of "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals." The nod marks the group's seventh Grammy nomination overall and 4th in that category. Hitting the airwaves this summer, "Misery" skyrocketed into the top 10 on the Top 40 radio chart within four weeks of its release, marking it the band's fastest rising chart success to date. Maroon 5's releases have gone gold and platinum in over 35 countries around the world, including Hands All Over, which was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2010. www.maroon5.com

"The nominees, presenters and guests in the house at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards are all A-list," said Tom Calderone, President, VH1. "We've been huge supporters of Maroon 5 since the beginning of their career, and watched them become an international success.  Having them join our production as the house band brings an unprecedented level of excitement and musical talent to the show."  

The 250 members of the BFCA, the largest film critics' organization in the United States and Canada, representing television, radio and online critics, selected nominees in each of 25 categories.  The awards are bestowed annually to honor the finest in cinematic achievement.  Eligible films were released in 2010. The accounting firm of Gregory A. Mogab tallied the written ballots.

Historically, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.  All four major acting category winners at the Academy Awards in 2010 were first Critics' Choice Movie Awards winners in the same categories and were present at the January 15, 2010 ceremony to graciously give their first acceptance speeches of the awards season. The BFCA also recognized "The Hurt Locker" for "Best Picture" and Kathryn Bigelow as "Best Director," making her the first female to win the award. "The Hurt Locker" and Bigelow also went on to win the Academy Award for "Best Picture" and "Best Director" but were both overlooked at the Golden Globes.

The 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards, honoring the finest in cinematic achievement among 2010 film releases, announced its nominees on Monday, December 13, 2010. Final ballots will go out to the BFCA members on January 10, 2010 with the deadline for returning final ballots happening on January 12, 2010. For a full list of this year's nominees and information about the show visit CriticsChoice.VH1.com. The site also offers VH1.com's Award Season Twitter Tracker where users can see the awards show buzz that's happening on Twitter in real time and Quick Critic, an opportunity to share short film reviews for a prize that includes a trip for two to next year's Critics' Choice Movie Awards. Additionally, interviews with many of the acting nominees can be found on the BFCAs' site CriticsChoice.com .

The 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards is executive produced by Jesse Ignjatovic for Den of Thieves, Joey Berlin for Berlin Entertainment and Lee Rolontz for VH1.

About The Broadcast Film Critics Association:

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 250 television, radio and online critics.  BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public.  The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

About Den of Thieves:

Founded in 2007 by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves has quickly emerged as a force for ambitious event shows and uniquely stylized reality television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, Ignjatovic and Prager launched Den of Thieves as the TV arm of the Warner Music Group in 2007. After a successful three year partnership there, they branched out and are now fully independent.  With an array of formats ranging from Comedy Central's stand-up special "Russell Brand in NYC" to VH1's "The T.O. Show" to the MTV Video Music Awards, Den of Thieves continues to create, develop and produce original television.

About VH1:

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 98 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

SOURCE VH1