Stevie Wonder to Perform at 45th NAACP Image Awards; Kevin Hart to Present

The NAACP and TV One announce today that Stevie Wonder will perform, Kevin Hart has been added as a presenter, and Kerry Washington, Michael B. Jordan, Terrence Howard, Alfre Woodard, David Oyelowo, Chandra Wilson, Shemar Moore and Regina King have been confirmed to attend the 45th NAACP Image Awards. The two-hour star-studded special will broadcast LIVE on TV One from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday, February 22, 9:00 p.m./6:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also include "The 45th NAACP Image Awards Red Carpet Live" one-hour pre-show at 8:00 p.m./5:00 p.m. ET/PT.

As previously announced, Anthony Anderson will host and presenters include Lupita Nyong'o, Idris Elba, Tyler Perry, Michael Ealy, Tony Goldwyn, Arsenio Hall, Regina Hall, Archie Panjabi, Dennis Haysbert, Rickey Smiley, Nicole Beharie, Lou Gossett Jr., Vin Diesel, Terry Crews, Nia Long, Naomie Harris, Morris Chestnut, Chadwick Boseman, Tyrese Gibson, Ed Asner, and Ben Vereen. Oprah Winfrey will honor Nelson Mandela with a special tribute. Dennis Haysbert will be the in-show announcer.

Special honors will be given to Academy Award-winning actor, producer, director and 2014 Image Award nominee Forest Whitaker, who will receive the NAACP Chairman's Award. Paris Barclay and Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the first African-American Presidents of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, respectively, will be inducted into the Image Awards Hall of Fame.

In addition, the NAACP "Entertainer of the Year" will be revealed. This special honor is bestowed upon an individual within the entertainment industry who has achieved notable success in multiple projects and mediums. This year, individuals (including non-NAACP members) casted their vote online via the Image Awards main website [www.naacpimageawards.net] to help decide who among the following contenders will be recognized: Beyoncé, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, Nicole Beharie, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Steve Harvey, and Tyler Perry.

The NAACP Image Awards are recognized as the preeminent multi-cultural awards show, from an African-American point of view. The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be voted upon by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes are opened on Friday, February 21 during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised categories. The remaining categories will be announced LIVE on stage during the TV One telecast on Saturday, February 22.

The NAACP Image Awards are being produced by Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin. The production team will also include Tony McCuin as Director and Suzanne Bender and Stephanie Sacco as Talent Producers.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. The organization's half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

The 45TH NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: Walmart, UAW-Chrysler, FedEx, AT&T, Hyundai Motor America, Gilead Sciences, Wells Fargo, Ford Motor Company, PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines, Bank of America, Walgreens, General Motors, and AARP.

Photo by Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.

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