TV ONE JOINS REV. AL SHARPTON AND THE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK FOR THE 2016 TRIUMPH AWARDS AIRING SUNDAY, OCT. 2 AT 7 P.M. ET

Illustrious Honorees Include Sean "Diddy" Combs, Spike Lee, Attorney Benjamin Crump, Jermaine Dupri, Gina Adams And Mastercard

Actress Tichina Arnold Returns as Host of the Star-Studded Night with Appearances By Nick Cannon, Larenz Tate, Joe, Fantasia, Eric Benet, Dionne Warwick, JB Smoove and More

New York, NY - Sept. 30, 2016 - The 2016 Triumph Awards presented by Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network returns to TV One on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. ET, to recognize the accomplishments of change agents through civil rights, the arts, entertainment and business. Actress and advocate Tichina Arnold (Survivor's Remorse) returned to host this year's broadcast, filmed on Sunday, Sept. 18 at the historic Tabernacle in Atlanta, Ga.

"Our commitment now is to protect the legacy of Barack Obama and fulfill the dream of Martin Luther King," said Rev. Al Sharpton. "Some of our honorees' works and activism have been displayed on the center stage for all the world to experience firsthand, while other's efforts have lacked the oh-so worthy public exposure. We will be spotlighting these special individuals and their many contributions to the advancement of African Americans everywhere."

Attorney Benjamin Crump was presented the "Chairman's Award for Historic and Transformative Service" for his dedication to fighting and defending the masses - including Trayvon Martin and Tobbie Tolan - against the legal injustices that plague their communities. Terri J. Vaughn and Rev. Dr. Toussaint King Hill, Jr. introduced evangelist and accomplished gospel music artist Jekalyn Carr who gave an inspiring performance of "You Are Bigger," bringing the entire audience to their feet.

In a stirring speech, Crump issued a rallying cry to the community at large to advocate for our youth, stating, "It's not enough just to try to stop the killing of our children, but we must also fight for the life of our children and give them the promise that is guaranteed by the Constitution."

An emotional highlight of the evening honored Gwen Carr (mother of Eric Garner), Lesley McSpadden (mother of Mike Brown) and Sybrina Fulton (mother of Trayvon Martin), collectively known as Mothers of the Movement, who shared their heart-wrenching experiences of loss and tragedy in hopes of empowering the nation. Paying tribute to these women of strength, resilience and unique purpose brought together by unspeakable tragedy, BJ The Chicago Kid performed a soul-stirring rendition of his hit single "Woman's World."

Fulton requested the community's collective support as the mothers "Continue to unite... we are going to continue to strengthen ourselves, we are going to continue to be strong... continue to let our light shine, we are going to continue to stand for our young people."

Larenz Tate (House of Lies) presented the "Triumphant Man of the Year" award to Jermaine Dupri for his contributions in music and artist development as well as mentorship of young artists. The SoSo Def Dancers performed their way through a musical timeline including the biggest hit singles Dupri produced over his career which, began when as a 12-year-old child, he went on his first concert tour.

The honor of "Triumphant Woman of the Year" was introduced by Erica Ash (Survivor's Remorse, Jean of the Joneses) and Dondre Whitield (Queen Sugar), while legendary singer Dionne Warwick took the stage to share a few words of admiration for FedEx executive Gina F. Adams for her work progressing her industry and lending support to causes targeting education, youth and arts within their curriculum.

Actor and recording artist Fonzworth Bentley was on hand to present the "President's Award for Service and Humanitarian Efforts" to Sean "Diddy" Combs who recently used his platform as entertainment icon for greater good by co-founding the opening of Capital Prepatory Harlem charter school based in his childhood neighborhood.

Tim Murray of Mastercard accepted the honor of "Corporate Partner of The Year Award" as a result of their efforts educating and empowering middle and low income communities to attain financial stability.

The final award of the evening was the "Activism in the Arts Award" presented to Spike Lee by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vietta Johnson, President of Spellman College Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell and actress Teyonah Parris (The Miki Howard Story, ChiRaq)for his generous contribution of time and resources to support the education and production of original films by aspiring filmmakers. Reflecting on his love of film encouraged throughout his upbringing by various women in his life, most notably his mother who introduced him to the arts including movies, Lee urged parents to "Give your children exposure to the arts."

Rev. Sharpton gave special recognition to several Take Action Heroes, the unsung champions whose quiet but impactful efforts supporting the mission of the National Action Network in their communities have warranted public exposure. Erica Thomas was acknowledged by Denise Boutee and Pooch Hall from the upcoming TV One film Media, for her work guiding important discussions between young people on solutions to their pressing issues. Rev. Dr. Steffie Bartley, Sr. was thanked for his work with law enforcement encouraging diversity. Political journalist and activist Marc Lamont Hill praised Jennifer Jones Austin for her work focused on securing positive policy reforms for human services throughout New York City and New York State.

The evening includes rousing live performances to punctuate the inspirational mood, including a spoken word performance by Nick Cannon who delivered an original spoken word piece titled "Too Broke To Vote" to passionately communicate his discontent with the current state of the campaign season. R&B crooner Joe took the stage to perform "Mercy Mercy Me," one of the most poignant anthems of sorrow of its time that remains a timely reminder of the work still remaining today. Eric Benet performed a touching memorial tribute to many notable individuals who have passed this year by singing "Keep Your Head ToThe Sky."

Juan and Deborah Joy Winans, two members of the Winans gospel music dynasty kept the spirit-filled vibe going with their performance of "Lord Lift Us Up."

Cee-Lo Green introduced the rising music star V-Bozeman, who performed "Race Jones," a pro-black anthem on self-love. The James Brown Academy of Music Pupils performed "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud," encouraging the audience to stand up for their rights. Tichina Arnold, JB Smoove, Carl Payne, Erica Ash and Teyonah Parris joined forces to perform "Spike Lee Joint Medley," a hilarious musical tribute.

Soul singer Fantasia brought the evening to a climactic and uplifting finale with the performance of her hit single "Lose to Win."

The night of excellence included additional appearances by actor JB Smoove and WNBA Atlanta Dream player Angel McCoughtry. Radio personality Ebonie Steel served as the voice of the show, keeping the pace moving and giving viewers a rare glimpse of the activity backstage between segments.

The 2016 Triumph Awards is Executive Prodcued by Bart Phillips of Sunseeker Media and Eric Tomosunas with Keith Neal of Swirl Films. Robyn Greene Arrington is Executive in Charge of Production. Lamar Chase serves as Producer and D'Angela Proctor is Head of Original Programing and Production for TV One.

For more information about The 2016 Triumph Awards visit the network's companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hashtag #TriumphAwards and catch clips and promos on TV One's YouTube Channel.

ABOUT NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK (NAN):

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender.

ABOUT TV ONE:

Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvone.tv) serves more than 60 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. The network is the exclusive home of News One Now, the only live daily news program targeting Black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.