Big Stars Take Center Stage at SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2013 Premiering on BET Today

It's lights, camera, soul in the great city of Las Vegas as some of music's biggest hit Makers grace the stage on this year's SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2013. Hosted by actor and comedian Anthony Anderson, SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2013 caps off an exciting year in music honoring icons and showcasing future superstars. This year's show features electrifying performances and countless surprises kicked off by Jennifer Hudson joined by Chaka Khan, Evelyn "Champagne" King and T.I. for a medley that brought the crowd to its feet.

David Foster and Debbie Allen presented music icon Dionne Warwick with the Legend Award followed by a show stopping tribute led by Gladys Knight, Ronald Isley, Eric Benet, Ruben Studdard, Kenny Lattimore, Bobby V., Chrisette Michele, Eddie Levert and Candice Glover.

R&B crooner Keith Sweat received the Lifetime Achievement Award and performed a medley of his greatest hits with a special appearance by soul diva Faith Evans.

Also hitting the stage with classic performances are Bobby Caldwell featuring Dave Koz, Jon B. and Vanilla Ice for a special 'Blue Eyed Soul' moment, R&B songstresses Tamar Braxton and K. Michelle and Wale featuring Stokely from Mind Condition.

The star-studded ceremony also includes appearances from Wolf Blitzer, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Idris Elba, Toni Braxton, Ashanti, Bill Bellamy, Vivica A. Fox, Janelle Monae, Kandi Burruss, Boris Kodjoe, Tyrese Gibson and more.

Anthony Anderson kept the party going with hilarious skits while hip-hop stars Warren G., Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick and Big Daddy Kane closed things out with a finale performance you won't want to miss!

SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2013 airs today, December 1 st at 8PM ET/PT simultaneously on Centric and BET.

For more information, please visit BET.com/SoulTrain. Follow us at @centrictv and@bet, and join the conversation with #SoulTrainAwards #WeGotSoul.

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. Centric: What's Good.

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 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. Soul Train Holdings was created following the acquisition of the iconic franchise and catalog of more than 1,100 hours of archival footage from Don Cornelius Productions in June 2008 by InterMedia Partners and Madvision entertainment and is part of Vibe Holdings LLC. Vibe Holdings is a leading multi-cultural media company consisting of treasured and celebrated brands including Vibe Magazine, Vibe.com, Uptown Magazine and Soul Train. VIBE Holdings is owned by InterMedia Partners, Magic Johnson Enterprises and Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies.

About the Orleans Arena: Celebrating its 10 th anniversary in 2013, The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation's leading mid-sized arenas, and was recently ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 Internationally among venues of similar size by Venues Today Magazine. As many as 500,000 people per year enjoy a variety of 200 events annually. These include top concerts by artists like Carrie Underwood, Billy Joel, Van Halen and Blake Shelton. The Orleans Arena also hosted the 2013 Academy of Country Music Fan Jam, headlined by Brad Paisley with support from other chart-topping country artists. The venue offers a diverse calendar of events, from family favorites like Disney Live and Shrine Circus to other unique events like motorsports and mixed martial arts. The arena hosts two NCAA tournaments each year in addition to the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference basketball championships. The arena is home to three sports tenants including the Las Vegas Wranglers professional ECHL hockey team, the Legends Football League and the Las Vegas Legends professional indoor soccer team. For more information call 702-365-7469, or visit www.orleansarena.com. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena).

SOURCE BET Networks

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