Lea Salonga To Judge at the 60th Annual Miss Universe Pageant 9/12

NBC, Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced today the celebrities and experts who will judge at the 60th Annual "Miss Universe® Pageant," which will be broadcast live from Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil on Monday, September 12 at 9 p.m. ET. A live Spanish simulcast will air on Telemundo.

The list of judges includes:

Helios Castroneves, three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500
Connie Chung, U.S. broadcast legend
Isabeli Fontana, Brazilian supermodel
Vivica Fox, actress & television producer
Adrienne Maloof, from Bravo's hit series "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills"
Lea Salonga, Tony Award winner and actress
Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003.

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Bebel Gilberto, daughter of Brazilian legend Joao Gilberto, will perform her electronic bossa nova single "Close Your Eyes" during the evening gown portion of the competition. Meanwhile, Brazilian native pop singer Claudia Leitte will turn the heat up when she performs her new single "Locomotion" during the swimsuit competition.

As previously announced, Andy Cohen, host of Bravo's "Watch What Happens: Live," and Natalie Morales, news anchor of NBC's "Today" will host the "2011 Miss Universe® Pageant." Joining them will be host of Style Network's "How Do I Look" Jeannie Mai and Shandi Finnessy, Miss USA 2004, who will provide skybox fashion commentary throughout the LIVE telecast.

For the first time ever, fans in represented countries have been able to vote for their favorite contestant for an automatic spot into the semifinals at the 2011 Miss Universe® Competition. Fans can vote online at www.missuniverse.com or www.nbc.com. Online voting is taking place now through September 11 (9 pm ET).

The 2011 MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant kicks off a series of worldwide events hosted by Brazil. In addition to this global beauty event, Brazil is host to the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. With the city of São Paulo at center stage, the pageant will take place at Credicard Hall, a prominent music theater for the city.

The two-hour television event, comprised of contestants representing approximately 90 countries around the world, will compete in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. In past years, worldwide distribution of the competition has topped nearly 190 countries and territories.

About MISS UNIVERSE

The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBCUniversal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today. The organization is dedicated to partnering with charities around the world, and to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health issues. For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com.

About NBC Entertainment

NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network's primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC's quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. NBC has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history.

NBC's roster of popular scripted series includes such critically acclaimed comedies Emmy winners as "The Office" and "30 Rock," starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey.

Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Chuck." Unscripted series for NBC include the new vocal competition hit "The Voice" as well as the popular "The Biggest Loser," "The Celebrity Apprentice" and "America's Got Talent."

NBC's late-night story is highlighted by "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Call with Carson Daly" and "Saturday Night Live." NBC Daytime's "Days of our Lives" consistently finishes among daytime's top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category.

On Saturday mornings, the network broadcasts Qubo on NBC, a three-hour block that features fun, entertaining, and educational programming for kids, including the award-winning, 3-D animated series Veggie Tales.

Follow Miss Universe:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/OfficialMissUniverse

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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