BET SALUTES BLACK EXCELLENCE WITH A WEEKEND-LONG CELEBRATION OF SPECIALS

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THE "53RD NAACP IMAGE AWARDS" AIRS LIVE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, AT 8:00 PM ET/PT ON BET, BET HER, CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, PARAMOUNT, POP, SMITHSONIAN, TV LAND, AND VH1

HOSTED BY SEVEN-TIME NAACP IMAGE AWARDS WINNER ANTHONY ANDERSON, THE TWO-HOUR TELEVISION EVENT WILL FEATURE A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY MARY J. BLIGE AND APPEARANCES BY ISSA RAE, KERRY WASHINGTON, LL COOL J, MORGAN FREEMAN, QUESTLOVE, TIFFANY HADDISH, ZENDAYA, AND MANY MORE!

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"DJ CASSIDY'S PASS THE MIC: BET AFTER PARTY 2022" TO AIR DIRECTLY FOLLOWING THE "53RD NAACP IMAGE AWARDS" AT 10:00 PM ET/PT ON BET

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BET REMEMBERS LEGENDARY ACTOR AND ACTIVIST SIDNEY POITIER WITH SPECIAL TRIBUTE "SIDNEY POITIER: IN HIS OWN WORDS" SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27 AT 9:00 PM ET/PT ON BET & BET HER

NEW YORK, NY (February 23, 2022) - BET celebrates Black Excellence with the LIVE airing of the "53rd NAACP Image Awards" Saturday, February 26, at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET. Hosted by seven-time NAACP Image Awards winner Anthony Anderson, the show will simulcast across 11 Paramount Global networks, including BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount, Pop, Smithsonian, TV Land, and VH1. Internationally, the show will air on BET Africa at 20:00 CAT on February 27, followed by BET UK on My5 and Sky On Demand on Monday, February 28, BET France on March 2 at 8:45 pm CEST, and MTV Brazil on Thursday, March 3. #NAACPImageAwards

Immediately following the "53rd NAACP Image Awards," BET will premiere the return of DJ Cassidy's critically acclaimed, groundbreaking series "DJ Cassidy's Pass The Mic: BET After Party 2022" on Saturday, February 26th at 10 PM ET/PT.

BET will honor the legacy of legendary actor and activist Sidney Poitier with an exclusive news special called "Sidney Poitier: In His Own Words," airing Sunday, February 27 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on BET and BET HER.

The "53rd NAACP Image Awards"

Recognized as the nation's preeminent multicultural awards show from an African American perspective, the "53rd NAACP Image Awards" will feature a performance by Nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer and two-time Academy Award-nominated actress and producer Mary J. Blige and appearances by Issa Rae, Kerry Washington, LL Cool J, Michael Strahan, Morgan Freeman, Paula Patton, Questlove, Simu Liu, Tiffany Haddish, Zendaya, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, NAACP Board Chairman Leon W. Russell and many more!

As previously announced, actor Samuel L. Jackson will be presented with the NAACP Chairman's Award. The Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, will be presented with the Social Justice Impact Award. The Activist of the Year award will be presented to Scot X. Esdaile, President of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches and a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors, and Youth Activist of the Year will be presented to Channing Hill, NAACP Chapter President of Howard University. Members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Texas House Democratic Caucus, and Texas Legislative Black Caucus will receive the Roy Wilkins Civil Rights Award.

Non-televised award categories will be announced February 21-25 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on naacpimageawards.net and the NAACP Image Awards YouTube channel. The virtual show will is hosted nightly by actor and comedian Affion Crockett and presenters include Aida Rodriquez, Asiahn Bryant, Clint Coley, Cory Hardrict, Courtney Nichole, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Derrick Johnson, Karen Boykin-Towns, Khleo Thomas, Lauren Wesley Wilson, Leon W. Russell, Lori Harvey, Luke Lawal, Jr., Marcel Spears, Matt Cedeno, Melissa L. Williams, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and Wisdom Cole.

BET is also conducting an exclusive Instagram LIVE conversation series titled "Nominated" that celebrates Black Excellence as well as highlight each participant's career and their excitement around their respective NAACP Image Award nomination. Fresh new conversations go LIVE every night at 7 PM ET across BET's Instagram (@BET). Participating nominees include Celina Smith, Damson Idris, Erika Alexander, Ledisi, Marsai Martin, Method Man, Misty Copeland, Natasha Rothwell, Amanda Seales, Sherri Shepherd, Algee Smith, That Girl Lay Lay, and more!

The "53rd NAACP Image Awards" are presented by Wells Fargo and sponsored by AT&T, Google, T-Mobile, Bank of America, General Mills, FedEx, and Airbnb. For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards.

"DJ Cassidy's Pass The Mic: BET Afterparty 2022"

In this ninth edition of his globally heralded series, DJ Cassidy will celebrate the most prolific and influential Reggae artists and records of the past four decades. The special will feature twenty-one legendary guests, all of whom have shaped Reggae music and transformed its global influence from the charts to the dance floors. Cassidy confirms that his surprise guests will include Shaggy, Super Cat, Maxi Priest, Barrington Levy, Ini Kamoze, Junior Reid, Sister Nancy, and Patra, all of whom have transformed Reggae culture on a global scale.

DJ Cassidy and BET have transformed how we experience music with "DJ Cassidy's Pass The Mic." By intimately uniting his musical heroes from the turntables in his living room, DJ Cassidy passes the mic from one legendary artist to another, as they sing along to their iconic songs. The result is an emotionally uplifting, inspiring, and innovative musical event. "DJ Cassidy's Pass The Mic" has now featured two hundred twenty-one legendary superstars, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Charlie Wilson, Chaka Khan, Patty LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, Nile Rodgers, Kool & The Gang, George Clinton, El DeBarge, New Edition, Boyz II Men, Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat, En Vogue, TLC, SWV, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Doug E. Fresh, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, Nelly, Ja Rule, Ashanti, and many others.

Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, Angela Aguilera, SVP, Music Programming & Development, along with Jesse Collins Entertainment's Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon, music industry mogul Steve Rifkind, and DJ Cassidy executive produce "DJ Cassidy's Pass The Mic."

"Sidney Poitier: In His Own Words"

BET will honor the legacy of legendary actor and activist, Sidney Poitier, with an exclusive primetime tribute titled "Sidney Poitier: In His Own Words." Narrated by CBS Saturday Morning co-host, Michelle Miller, this BET News special will weave together compelling footage of Poitier's remarkable life and career - in his own inspiring words - to present a powerful reflection of his tireless dedication to racial equity in Hollywood. The program will recount some pivotal moments in Poitier's life from moving to the United States as a Bahamian immigrant to his first failed attempts at launching an acting career to his purposeful decision to only accept dignified roles throughout his groundbreaking and ionic career as the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. The nation lost an icon, but we join so many in celebration of Poitier's life, legacy, and immeasurable contributions. "Sidney Poitier: In His Own Words," will air Sunday, February 27 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on BET and BET HER.

Jason Samuels is the Executive Producer of "Sidney Poitier: In His Own Words." Rayner Ramirez is the Producer.

For more information on the "53rd NAACP Image Awards," "DJ Cassidy's Pass the Mic: BET After Party 2022," and "Sidney Poitier: In His Own Words," visit BET.com and follow the conversation across social platforms using #NAACPImageAwards, #PassTheMicOnBET and @BETNews.

About NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund - also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation's first civil and human rights law organization, and shares our commitment to equal rights.

About BET

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), 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 is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.