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Academy Award winner Halle Berry and critically acclaimed
screenwriter/actor Tyler Perry will host the 40TH NAACP IMAGE
AWARDS, broadcast live from Los Angeles' historic Shrine
Auditorium, Thursday, Feb. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT
tape-delayed) on FOX. The star-studded event, which coincides with
the NAACP's 100th anniversary, is executive-produced by Vicangelo
Bulluck and will kick off the organization's year-long centennial
celebration. Previously announced honorees include former Vice
President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, who will both
receive the Chairman's Award.
"We are extremely honored to have former Image Awards winners
Ms. Halle Berry and Mr. Tyler Perry host this historic event," said
Image Awards Chairperson Clayola Brown. "Halle and Tyler have
broken many barriers in the entertainment industry. In this
historic centennial year, their successes remind us of the immense
progress that has been made in the last 100 years and gives us
continued hope for the progress that our nation will achieve in the
future."
"This year's show will air February 12, which is the 100th
Anniversary of the NAACP to the day," added NAACP Hollywood Bureau
Executive Director Vicangelo Bulluck, who serves as executive
producer of the awards telecast. "This year's Image Awards is not
just a special event, it is an historic occasion, and I hope all
Americans will tune in. With Halle and Tyler as our hosts, I know
our viewers are going to get a spectacular show."
Nominations for the annual awards show that recognizes the artistic
achievements of people of color and honors projects and individuals
that promote diversity in the arts will be announced Wednesday,
Jan. 7 in Los Angeles. Performers and presenters on the 40TH NAACP
IMAGE AWARDS will be announced shortly.
Critics and filmgoers first took notice of Halle Berry in her
feature film debut in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever," and she then went
on to star opposite Warren Beatty in the socio-political comedy
"Bulworth." For her brilliant performance in "Monster's Ball", she
was honored with the Academy Award for Best Actress, the SAG Award,
the Berlin Silver Bear Award, and was named Best Actress by the
National Board of Review. Her other film credits include "Catwoman"
and "Gothika," the psychological thriller that helped cement her
status as an international box-office draw. In 2002, Berry starred
opposite Pierce Brosnan in "Die Another Day," which celebrated the
40th anniversary of the James Bond franchise and went on to become
the largest-grossing Bond film to date.
Other television credits include starring in the highly rated
miniseries "Oprah Winfrey Presents: The Wedding," directed by
Charles Burnett, as well as the title role in Alex Haley's
miniseries "Queen." The latter performance earned Berry her first
NAACP Image Awards for Best Actress. Berry earned an Emmy, a Golden
Globe, a SAG Award and an NAACP Image Awards for her extraordinary
performance in "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," which she also
produced. Berry is currently working on the psychological thriller
"Frankie and Alice" alongside Stellan Skarsgård. The film, which
Berry stars in and serves as producer, centers on a young woman
afflicted with a multiple-personality disorder who struggles to
remain her true self and not give in to her racist alter-ego.
Currently, Berry is an International Spokesperson for Revlon, and
devotes considerable time and support to numerous charitable and
humanitarian causes and organizations.
Tyler Perry's inspirational journey from the hard streets of New
Orleans to the heights of Hollywood's A-list is the stuff of
American legend. Born into poverty and raised in a household
scarred by abuse, Tyler fought from a young age to find the
strength, faith and perseverance that would later form the
foundations of his much-acclaimed plays, films, books and
television shows.
In early 2005, Tyler's first feature film, "Diary of a Mad Black
Woman," debuted at No. 1 nationwide and received four NAACP Image
Awards nominations. By 2007, Tyler expanded his reach to television
with the series "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," the highest-rated
original cable sitcom of all time and top-rated new daily series in
broadcast syndication in fall 2008. That year, the comedy also won
three NAACP Image Awards, including one for Outstanding Comedy
Series. Also, adding to his accomplishments, Perry recently opened
Tyler Perry Studios which is the first African-American owned
studio in the country.
In addition, he has been intimately involved in civil rights cases,
including the trial of the Jena 6 in his home state of Louisiana,
as well as with charities that focus on helping the homeless
including America's Second Harvest, the Atlanta Food Bank and Perry
Place-a 20-home community in New Orleans that Tyler built for
survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Perry practices what he preaches,
and what he preaches has endeared him to millions of fans drawn to
his unique blend of spiritual hope and down-home humor that shapes
his inspiring life and extraordinary body of work.
Returning event sponsors for the 40th NAACP Image Awards include
American Airlines, FedEx and the Ford Motor Company.
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