"MODERN FAMILY'S" JULIE BOWEN AND TY BURRELL TO HOST "THE 2012 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS"

Emmy Award Winners Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, also known as Claire and Phil Dunphy on the ABC comedy "Modern Family," have been announced as hosts of "The 2012 Billboard Music Awards," which airs live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on SUNDAY, MAY 20 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

"We are thrilled to have television's favorite Emmy Award winning couple as our hosts for this year's Billboard Music Awards," said Richard D. Beckman, CEO Prometheus Global Media. "Ty and Julie have captured the hearts of America with their on-screen chemistry and humor - and we look forward to having them bring that magic to the Billboard Music Awards."

Finalists are based on key fan interactions with music, including album, single and digital sales, airplay, touring, streaming and social interactions on MySpace, Facebook and many of the other most popular online destinations for music. The awards will be based on the reporting period of February 28, 2011 through March 1, 2012.

"The 2012 Billboard Music Awards" is co-executive produced by Richard D. Beckman, CEO Prometheus Global Media and Don Mischer Productions. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HD format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

Visit www.Billboard.com/BBMA for a complete list of finalists and to apply for media credentials. Music fans can also follow news about the show or related events on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Billboard or Facebook at www.facebook.com/billboard.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, U2, Lady Gaga, Sting, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards, annual Billboard Music Awards and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game which features the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche. www.mgmgrand.com

Julie Bowen stars in the acclaimed hit ABC comedy "Modern Family" as harried suburban mom "Claire Dunphy," a role for which she received an Emmy Award in 2011. Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Bowen caught the acting bug as a child while putting on plays with her two sisters in their backyard. She attended Brown University, where she starred in "Guys and Dolls," "Stage Door" and "Lemon Sky." While earning her degree in Italian Renaissance studies, she also spent a year in Florence, Italy and became fluent in Italian.

Bowen recently completed work on the feature film "Knife Fight," opposite Rob Lowe, and was seen in the hit films "Horrible Bosses" from New Line Cinema and Sony's "Jumping the Broom." Previous film credits include "Multiplicity" with Michael Keaton, "Crazy on the Outside" with Tim Allen and the modern classic "Happy Gilmore" opposite Adam Sandler. In the advertising world, Bowen has been both the face of Neutrogena and the voice of Pampers. She has also lent her support to the charitable efforts of Maxwell House and March of Dimes.

With a range of performances in television, contemporary film, and classic theater, award- winning Ty Burrell continues to prove himself as one of the finest and most versatile actors today. Currently, Burrell stars as 'Phil Dunphy' on ABC's critically acclaimed hit "Modern Family." Season 4 will return this fall. He's currently in production voicing the lead role of Mr. Peabody in the DreamWorks Animation 3D feature "Mr. Peabody and Sherman," based on the classic "dog and his pet boy" cartoon that appeared as part of the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." The film is scheduled to be released on March 14, 2014. He will soon begin production on "Switch" opposite Mos Def, John Hawkes, Jen Aniston and Dennis Quaid. Dan Schecter will write and direct this film which is a prequel to Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown."

Burrell won the 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, having been nominated the year prior in the same category. Ty also shared the TCA award with Nick Offerman for "Individual Achievement in Comedy," this past August, after his second nomination, and received two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Male actor in a Comedy Series. "Modern Family" also won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a comedy Series. Ty has also garnered nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Awards, the Teen Choice Awards, Kids' Choice Awards and two Comedy Awards for his role on the series. "Modern Family" was nominated in 2011 for a total of 17 Emmy(R) Awards and won Best Comedy for the second year in a row.

Tickets prices begin at $57.75 for Upper Level, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are now on sale and available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.