WINTER HAS NEVER BEEN SO HOT! "THE 2006 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS" AIRS LIVE MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, ON FOX

Music Legend Tony Bennett to Receive the Century Award

THE 2006 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 4 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The ultra-hip Las Vegas Strip sets the stage for performances and appearances by the year's chart-topping artists.

The only awards show to truly recognize No. 1 artists, THE BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS honors the year's leading artists and songs as determined by actual performance on Billboard's weekly charts. The show celebrates the record-buying, internet-downloading and radio-listening public's favorite songs, albums and performers, creating a true souvenir of the year in music.

Based on sales data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and radio information monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, Billboard's music charts are the world's most authoritative. Winners are determined by the 2006 year-end charts, which will reflect the weekly Billboard charts published from December 2005 through November 2006.

As previously announced, Tony Bennett will receive the Century Award, Billboard's highest accolade for creative achievement. Now in its 15th year, the Century Award pays tribute to an artist's still-developing body of work. Past winners include such legendary musicians as Tom Petty, Buddy Guy, Billy Joel, Carlos Santana, James Taylor, Annie Lennox, Sting and Stevie Wonder.

The BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS has been televised exclusively on FOX since the show's inception. Host(s), performers, presenters and award finalists will be announced soon.

Now in its 112th year, Billboard is the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events and brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. Billboard is the flagship property for the Billboard Information Group, which also consists of Billboard.biz, Billboard.com, Billboard Chart Alert, Billboard Information Network (BIN), Billboard Directories, Billboard Books, Billboard Licensing & Events and Radio & Records. Billboard's many strategic partners include Microsoft, mForma, Reuters, Sirius Satellite Radio, Telemundo, Univision Radio, ABC Radio Networks, Azteca America and Billboard sister companies Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. These partnerships leverage Billboard's proprietary data, charts and information resources to develop broadcast entertainment, digital and mobile platforms and contextual commerce applications that expand Billboard's franchise and consumer reach.

MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar De La Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Janet Jackson, Billy Joel, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to The Billboard Music Awards on FOX, the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA).

THE 2006 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS is executive-produced by Greg Sills and Michael Levitt. Bruce Gowers will direct and Wylleen May is the executive in charge of production.