DR. JOHNNETTA BETSCH COLE, PHYLICIA RASHAD, USHER RAYMOND, JOHN W. THOMPSON AND KANYE WEST ANNOUNCED AS "THE BET HONORS" 2015 EXTRAORDINARY HONOREES

WAYNE BRADY RETURNS AS HOST FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL TELECAST

TAPING ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 AT THE WARNER THEATRE IN WASHINGTON DC, PREMIERING ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015

#BETHONORS

NEW YORK, NY - December 9, 2014 - BET Networks kicks off the New Year celebrating black excellence with the eighth annual "The BET Honors" 2015 special hosted by television personality, actor and comedian, Wayne Brady. The star-studded night will honor five distinguished African Americans performing at exceptional levels in the areas of art, music, theater, technology and business. This year's remarkable honorees are Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Phylicia Rashad, Usher Raymond, John W. Thompson and Kanye West.

Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African Art, and former president of Spelman College, will receive the Education Award. Tony Award-winning actress, singer and stage director Phylicia Rashad will be honored with the Theatrical Arts Award for her revolutionary impact on Broadway and regional theater. Usher Raymond, recording artist, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, will receive the Musical Arts Award for his years of on-going success in music. John W. Thompson, Chairman of Microsoft and CEO of Virtual Instruments, will receive the Technology and Business Award for his ongoing leadership in business and his influence in the world of technology. Famed musician, producer, artist, author and designer Kanye West, will receive the Visionary Award for setting trends and redefining ways of self-expression through different mediums of art.

"The BET Honors" 2015 will be taped at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January 24, 2015 and will premiere on Monday, February 23, 2015 at 9:00 pm* during Black History Month on BET Networks in the USA, and around the world on BET's international network on Saturday, February 28, 2015 (check local listings).

Proceeds from the private sale of "The BET Honors" 2015 will benefit the National Cares Mentoring Program, an organization that helps transform the lives of Black children by inspiring, recruiting, and mobilizing masses of caring Black men and women to mentor and nourish, challenge and champion them.

"The BET Honors" 2015 sponsors include AT&T, Lexus, Macy's and the U.S. Army.

Stephen Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials, BET Networks, and Lynne Harris Taylor, Vice President of Specials & Music Production, BET Networks are executive producers, along with Jesse Collins of Jesse Collins Productions.

For more information on "BET Honors," visit http://www.bet.com/bethonors . Join the conversation about the special on Twitter by using hashtags: #BETHonors; follow the show for all updates & special surprises @BET.

*All times EST

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: 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 Jesse Collins Entertainment:

Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service film and television production company founded by entertainment industry veteran and Image(R) Award winner Jesse Collins. For over a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing many of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment. Prior to launching his own company in 2012, Collins was executive producer and executive vice president of Cossette Productions and produced ground breaking, award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, UNCF's Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is also an executive producer of BET's hit series, The Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart. Collins has also worked with a myriad of icons including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Mariah Carey and Prince.