Mayor Vincent Gray gives welcoming address to star-studded crowd gathered at the 2011 BET Honors Awards Ceremony.
On Saturday, January 15, the District hosted the 2011 BET Honors for the fourth consecutive year at the historic Warner Theatre. This prestigious awards ceremony brought together hundreds of A-list celebrities and influential leaders in Hollywood and the African American community to honor six exceptional legends in music, the arts, service and education. The honorees in various categories of excellence included Jamie Foxx (Entertainment), Cicely Tyson (Theatrical Arts), Iman (Service), Lonnie G. Bunch, III (Education), Herbie Hancock (Musical Arts), and Linda Johnson Rice (Media).
Nearly two weeks after being sworn in as the new mayor of the District of Columbia Mayor Vincent C. Gray gave welcoming remarks to kick-off the evening. “We are proud to host BET Honors for the fourth consecutive year and we value the contributions the network has made to the District and to the Nation,” stated Mayor Gray. “We look forward to our continued partnership with BET, hosting more exciting events and seeing the District play a ‘Silent Star’ in the movies and television shows on the BET Network throughout the year.”
The show’s diverse star-studded lineup included performances by Trey Songz, Ne-yo, Lalah Hathaway, Yolanda Adams, the Chick Corea Quartet and the Cicely L. Tyson Concert Choir. Presenters included Tyler Perry, Cedric the Entertainer, Anika Noni Rose, Hill Harper, Jimmie Jam, and host for the third year, actress Gabrielle Union.
The DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development was on hand to facilitate the smooth and seamless coordination of production and city services for the awards ceremony. In addition, BET Networks and the DC Film Office provided an exclusive behind the scenes preview of the award show’s musical performances to DC’s own William E. Doar Jr., Public Charter School for the Performing Arts. The sneak peak celebrity performances included headliners such as Keyshia Cole, Guy and Tank and provided students with a unique and creatively rewarding experience to further expose them to the arts and entertainment industry.
In 2010, BET Honors boasted more than 2.4 million viewers and received the distinction as cable’s number one weeknight entertainment special for 2010. The 2011 BET Honors Awards is scheduled to air on BET on February 21, 2011 at 9 pm EST/8 pm CST.