VH1 BIG IN 2015 WITH ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY to Honor Elizabeth Banks & More

Hollywood powerhouse Elizabeth Banks and the breakout cast from the most successful music biopic of all time, "Straight Outta Compton" -- O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell -- have been added as honorees at the "VH1 Big In 2015 with Entertainment Weekly" party, which premieres Monday, December 7, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT on VH1. On that night, VH1 and Entertainment Weekly, the brands that help define pop culture, are teaming up to toast and roast the people who entertained us the most all year long.

Elizabeth Banks will be joined that evening by O'Shea Jackson, Jr., -- who will receive the honor on behalf of the "Straight Outta Compton" cast from his father, Ice Cube. Both Banks and Jackson, Jr. will be honored by the people who know them best, their "squads," and join previously announced honorees Amy Schumer and "Empire" star Taraji P. Henson. Additional honorees and talent will be announced soon.

The evening's honorees are also featured in Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year issue, on sale nationwide November 24, 2015. The special will be taped on Sunday, November 15, at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

A decade after VH1 created the pop culture awards show with the "Big In... Awards," "VH1 Big In 2015 with Entertainment Weekly" marks the return of the franchise, which celebrates the biggest moments and people in entertainment with a star-studded special with A-List talent and their complete "squads" in tow.

About Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks is coming off a critically acclaimed role in the Brian Wilson biopic "Love & Mercy" and will next be seen in the highly anticipated "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2." She made her directorial debut with the summer box office hit "Pitch Perfect 2" and is set to return as director for "Pitch Perfect 3." She is also attached to direct the "Charlie's Angels" reboot which she will co-produce and the young adult adaptation of "Red Queen."

About "Straight Outta Compton"

In 1987, five young men - Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson, Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), DJ Yella (Neil Brown, Jr.) and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) - using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, transformed their frustration and anger about life their inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Witness the rise of the world's most notorious group in "Straight Outta Compton".

The "VH1 Big In 2015 with Entertainment Weekly" venue will sparkle with the irreverent sensibilities of a friendly roast by the entertainers' "squads" and the celebratory spirit of a year-end blowout. No seat fillers here - celebrity friends will fill the venue for a collegial environment where the Entertainers of the Year can truly feel at home while viewers get an intimate look inside the real lives of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Join the conversation on Twitter with @VH1 and @VH1Celebrity using #BIGin2015. For additional updates, 'LIKE' VH1 and VH1 Celebrity on Facebook, or go to BigIn2015.vh1.com.

Official sponsors of "VH1 Big In 2015 With Entertainment Weekly" include Cheerios(TM).

"VH1 BIG IN 2015 with Entertainment Weekly" will be produced by Den of Thieves. Executive producers include Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Chris Choun and Co-Executive Producer is Barb Bialkowski. Executive Producers for VH1 are Amy Doyle and Ryan Kroft. Executive in Charge of Production for VH1 is Joe Buoye. Executive Producers for Entertainment Weekly are Rich Battista, Jess Cagle, Henry Goldblatt, and Sean Smith.

ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Entertainment Weekly is your all-access pass to Hollywood's most creative minds and most fascinating stars. The magazine was launched by Time Inc. in 1990 and is America's leading consumer publication in the entertainment category, with a guaranteed circulation rate base of nearly 1.8 million and a combined audience of almost 27 million loyal, engaged fans. Each day, EW.com publishes a myriad of featured stories, blog posts, TV-recaps, original videos, film reviews and photo galleries. In April 2015, the PEOPLE/Entertainment Weekly Network reached #1 in its competitive set with 56.4 million unique visitors and during the same month, EW.com desktop, tablet and mobile growth hit an all-time high of 19.9 million combined unique visitors. Entertainment Weekly is the first to know about the best in entertainment. With sharp insight, unparalleled access and a trusted voice, EW keeps readers plugged into pop culture. This is where the buzz begins. Entertainment Weekly is also available on the iPhone(R), iPad(R), Apple News App, NOOK Color(TM), HP Touchpad, Kindle Fire, Next Issue, and select Android(TM) devices. On social media, join the Entertainment Weekly community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Google +.

ABOUT VH1

VH1 delivers the ultimate mash-up of music, pop culture and nostalgia for adults who still want to have fun. 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.