JENNIFER HUDSON AND SEAL TO PERFORM AT "40TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS" THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, LIVE ON FOX

Sean "Diddy" Combs, Taraji P. Henson, Keke Palmer, Regina Taylor and Kerry Washington to Appear on Star-Studded Special Coinciding with Organization's Centennial

Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award nominee Jennifer Hudson and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Seal are set to perform at the 40TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, which will broadcast live from Los Angeles' historic Shrine Auditorium Thursday, Feb. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Additionally, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Taraji P. Henson, Keke Palmer, Regina Taylor and Kerry Washington will present during the special joining previously announced hosts Halle Berry and Tyler Perry.

Executive-produced by Vicangelo Bulluck, the special coincides with the NAACP's 100th anniversary and will kick off the organization's year-long centennial celebration. Previously announced honorees include Former Vice President Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai, who will both receive the Chairman's Award, as well as Russell Simmons, who will receive the Vanguard Award. Additional performers and presenters to be announced.

Chicago native Jennifer Hudson and her RIAA-certified Gold self-titled debut album recently received four Grammy Award nominations. Hudson's eponymous debut entered Billboard's Top 200 at No. 2 and marked the biggest first week sales for an R&B female entry since 2004. The follow-up to her smash hit single "Spotlight" is the beautiful mid-tempo "If This Isn't Love." Hudson received two NAACP Image Award nominations this year for her role in "The Secret Life of Bees" and six nods for her album "Jennifer Hudson."

London-born singer Seal first emerged from Britain's house music scene in the early 1990s. After his single "Crazy" debuted in the Top Ten, Seal went on to earn critical acclaim and worldwide commercial success with his next four albums. His soaring baritone has become a signature with such hits as "Prayer for the Dying," "Kiss from a Rose" and "Don't Cry." Seal recently released his sixth album, "Soul," a collection of the all-time greatest soul classics produced by music legend David Foster.

Founded on February 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its 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. For more information on the NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.naacpimageawards.net/"naacpimageawards.net.