VH1 ANNOUNCES ALICIA KEYS TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER MOTHER AT FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND MOTHER'S DAY HONORS EVENT

"DEAR MAMA," PREMIERES SUNDAY, MAY 8TH AT 9 PM ET/PT

SPECIAL PERFORMACE BY CANADIAN SONGBIRD ALESSIA CARA

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED QUEEN LATIFAH TO HONOR HER MOM; TREY, JADEN AND WILLOW SMITH TO SALUTE JADA PINKETT-SMITH, AND HOST ANTHONY ANDERSON WILL ALSO RECOGNIZE HIS MOM

SANTA MONICA, CA (April 27, 2016) - VH1, Flavor Unit and Jesse Collins Entertainment add Grammy Award winning artist Alicia Keys to the lineup of heavyweight talent that will be honoring their mothers at VH1's special one-hour event "Dear Mama," premiering Sunday, May 8 at 9 PM ET/PT.

Terria Joseph, an actor and mother of vocal powerhouse Alicia Keys, will be honored this year at VH1's first ever "Dear Mama" special event. Joseph, who starred alongside of her famous daughter in FOX's EMPIRE, was a single mother who supported her daughter as she pursued her dreams.

Alessia Cara, Toronto singer-songwriter and Def Jam recording artist will perform her hit single "Wild Things" as a tribute to her mom and best friend, Enza Caracciolo, who encouraged her to follow her dreams and pursue her passion for music. Alessia Cara is a new breed of "conscious pop" star seizing hold of the music world."

Additional honorary mothers are the lively Doris Bowman, mother of "Dear Mama" host Anthony Anderson (ABC's "Blackish"). Rita Owens, the graceful mother of superstar Queen Latifah. Trey, Jaden and Willow Smith will join to salute the talented Jada Pinkett-Smith.

VH1 will also give a special shout-out to mothers everywhere by surprising a non-celebrity mom in attendance at the taping.

VH1's Dear Mama special will bring together A-list celebrities and their mothers and families for a Mother's Day event full of jaw-dropping surprises and heart-felt tributes. Through custom-designed honoree tributes, the moms will truly feel special while viewers will get to see the incredible bond these women have with their famous offspring, and how their influence contributes so greatly to their success.

The special will be taped on Tuesday, May 3rd at St. Bart's Church in New York.

Official sponsors of the "VH1 Dear Mama" special event include Marshalls and Post Honey Bunches of Oats(R).

Join the conversation on Twitter with @VH1 and @VH1Celebrity using #DearMama For additional updates, 'LIKE' VH1 and VH1 Celebrity on Facebook, or go to DearMama.VH1.com.

"Dear Mama" is being produced by Flavor Unit with Shakim Compere and Queen Latifah as Executive Producers along with Jesse Collins Entertainment with Jesse Collins, Rikki Hughes and Jeannae Rouzan as Executive Producers. For VH1, Amy Doyle and Ryan Kroft are Executive Producers, Elena Diaz is Executive in Charge of Talent, Andria Parides is Supervising Producer and Joe Buoye is Executive in Charge of Production.

ABOUT VH1

VH1 is the dominant pop culture brand for adults 18-34, creating their pop culture today while celebrating the pop culture of their past. VH1 is available in 93 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, the VH1 App, VH1.com and @VH1, the hub for all things music and pop culture. Fans may also access current and retro VH1 programming via the VH1 App, the network's three-in-one video, new form content and co-viewing app, available for free on iOS and Android platforms. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT

Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing some of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars, ABFF Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of the hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and the upcoming original miniseries based on the iconic music group New Edition that will debut in 2017 and star Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley and Luke James. He has worked with a myriad of superstar talent including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey. Go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.