TYLER PERRY TO RECEIVE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD DURING LIVE BROADCAST OF "41ST NAACP IMAGE AWARDS" FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, ON FOX

Tyler Perry will receive the NAACP Chairman's Award during the 41ST NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, broadcast live from Los Angeles' historic Shrine Auditorium, Friday, Feb. 26 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, it was announced today by Vicangelo Bulluck, executive producer of the telecast and executive director of the NAACP's Hollywood Bureau.

The Chairman's Award, chosen by NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. Past honorees include Former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, Aretha Franklin, Bono, President Barack Obama, The Dave Matthews Band, Danny Glover, Aaron McGruder and Janet Jackson.

"Tyler Perry is a tremendous inspiration to people on many levels," said Bond. "His remarkable life experiences, which inform his extraordinary body of work in film, television and stage, have also shaped his focus on significant charitable causes and civil-rights initiatives."

Perry is currently nominated for multiple NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself" and for Outstanding Comedy Series for "Tyler Perry's House of Payne."

Tyler Perry is the writer, director and star of numerous films, including "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," "Madea Goes to Jail," "Madea's Family Reunion," "Daddy's Little Girl," "Why Did I Get Married," "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" and the upcoming "Why Did I Get Married Too," many of which are based on his touring stage plays. He has two hit TV series, "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns," and is the author of the bestselling book "Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings." In the fall of 2008, Perry opened Tyler Perry Studios, a 200,000 square foot production facility in Atlanta, GA. In January 2010, Perry went back on the road with his new play, "Madea's Big Happy Family," which is touring nationally.

Tyler Perry hasn't forgotten about the poverty in which he was raised. He has been involved in civil rights cases and charities that focus on helping the homeless, such as Feeding America, Covenant House, Josea Feed the Hungry and Perry Place. In 2009, he made a gift of $1 million to the NAACP and recently donated another $1 million via The Tyler Perry Foundation to aid the victims of the earthquakes in Haiti.

Founded on Feb. 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. For more information on the NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, please visit www.naacpimageawards.net.