or


[03/16/09 - 09:33 AM]
The Competition Is On: BET's 'Sunday Best' Top 20 Contestants Named
Plus: BET spins the numbers for Sunday, March 8.

[via press release from BET]

The Competition Is On: BET's 'SUNDAY BEST' Top 20 Contestants Named

NEW YORK, March 16 -- BET's gospel singing competition show, SUNDAY BEST is on its way to finding the next great gospel singing sensation. During the second season premiere episode on Sunday, March 8, which garnered an impressive 1.7 million viewers, a variety of entertaining hopefuls came out in droves to earn their spot in the competition.

After seeing and hearing more than 15,000 hopefuls audition, only an elite group of twenty were selected to advance on the road to SUNDAY BEST. Judged by Grammy Award-winning gospel superstars BeBe Winans and dynamic singing siblings Erica and Tina Campbell that compose the group Mary Mary, the top twenty finalists have earned the chance to take their praise to the next level and earn the title of SUNDAY BEST.

"There was so much talent this season that we literally passed on dozens of incredible singers just because of space limitations," said Erica and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary. "We would gladly share the stage with any of the top 20 selected because they're just that good! Viewers are going to be glued to their televisions for every single episode."

The 10-week singing competition is hosted by gospel giant Kirk Franklin.

Here are the top 20:

Audrey Lewis - Chicago, Illinois

Camille Benton - Columbus, Ohio

Carolyn Johnson White - Valencia, California

Cekoya Burch - Atlanta, Georgia

Clifton Ross, III - Hyattsville, Maryland

Crystal Holland - University Park, Illinois

Dontavies Boatwright - Jacksonville, Florida

Ian Knighton - Sacramento, California

Jeff Spain - Atlanta, Georgia

Jessica Reedy - Saginaw, Michigan

John McClure, Jr. - Owings Mills, Maryland

Johnathan Johnson - Louisville, Kentucky

Kalind Haynes - Chicago, Illinois

Latice Crawford - St. Albans, New York

Maurice Griffin - Chicago, Illinois

Peter Robinson - Bladensburg, Maryland

Sharon Gomez - Reisterstown, Maryland

Tammy Turner - Jessup, Maryland

Y'Anna Crawley - Mt. Rainier, Maryland

Zebulon Ellis - East Point, Georgia

This season, GRAMMY and Stellar Music Award winner Donald Lawrence contributes as Contestant Mentor. As one of gospel music's most sought after writers, producers and artists, Donald also served as musical director and vocal coach for several gospel recording artists. The winner will receive a recording contract, a 2009 Lincoln MKS and a list of other perks, as part of the grand prize package.

Viewers can watch SUNDAY BEST on Sundays at 9:00 p.m.* and catch the previous weeks' episode encore broadcast on Sundays at 8:00 p.m.*

For more on SUNDAY BEST, please visit www.BET.com/sundaybest.

*All times ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), 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 reaches more than 98 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of businesses extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.





  [march 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· SUNDAY BEST (BET)





[03/18/24 - 01:59 PM]
Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, and George Ferrier Join as Series Regulars for Starz's New Drama "The Hunting Wives"
Production on the thrilling new series has started in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[03/18/24 - 11:30 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer for the World Premiere of New Thriller, "The Influencer" Premiering Thursday, April 4
The original film stars Christina Cooper as Niecy Fields, a social media influencer on the cusp of stardom.

[03/18/24 - 10:06 AM]
E! Announces Trendsetting Guest Judges and Pioneering Disruptors for New Cutting-Edge Design Competition Series "OMG Fashun" with Julia Fox
Handcrafted is the new haute couture on "OMG Fashun" as Julia inspires pioneering fashion disruptors to upend traditional style convention, break the rules and redefine cool.

[03/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Trailer For New Original Documentary "Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal" Premiering April 1
The documentary looks at the remarkable career of the late Windham Rotunda also known as Bray Wyatt, one of the most skillful, tenacious, and creative WWE Superstars of all-time.

[03/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
NBC Is the Official Home of Competition and Games This Summer with a Slate of Powerhouse Hit Series
NBC is the summer home for both the Paris Olympic Games and high-stakes competition with a robust lineup of returning powerhouse favorites, including "America's Got Talent," "American Ninja Warrior," "Password," "The Wall" and "Weakest Link."

[03/18/24 - 09:02 AM]
Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Including 12 Brand New Titles
Plus: the streamer offers new looks at "Deliver Me," "The Helicopter Heist," "Ronja the Robber's Daughter," "Billionaire Island" and season two of "Baby Fever."

[03/18/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The rebels gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge - and legends are made.

[03/18/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Disney's "Wish" - Streaming April 3rd - Disney+
Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wish" is an all-new musical-comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force - a little ball of boundless energy called Star.

[03/18/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Our Living World" - Cate Blanchett - Official Trailer - Netflix
This stunning nature series narrated by Cate Blanchett explores the intelligence, resourcefulness and interconnectedness of life on our planet.

[03/18/24 - 08:00 AM]
Acorn TV Fan-Favorite "Harry Wild" Returns Monday, May 13
Season three consists of six episodes and will be available on Acorn TV in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

[03/18/24 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Orders "Beast Games" from MrBeast and Amazon MGM Studios
Based on his already successful YouTube show, "Beast Games" is set to become the biggest reality competition series ever with 1000 contestants competing for a $5 million dollar cash prize which will be the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.

[03/18/24 - 07:14 AM]
ESPN+ Original Series "Full Court Press" Presented by State Farm Featuring Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice to Premiere May 11 & 12 on ABC and ESPN+
From Iowa's historic preseason game that broke attendance records all the way through the WNBA draft in April, the series uses unparalleled access, exclusive interviews, and unique game footage, to transport audiences into the lives of these exceptional athletes.

[03/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Scoop" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization gives an insider account of how the women of Newsnight secured Prince Andrew's infamous interview.

[03/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Season Two of Iconic Emmy Award-Winning Series "Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock," Premiering Globally March 29
Award-winning season two cast includes the return of Daveed Diggs alongside Ariana DeBose, Brett Goldstein, Catherine O'Hara, Adam Lambert and K-pop group aespa in guest star roles.

[03/18/24 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Joy" - First Look Teaser - Netflix
Starring Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy, the new film based on the story of the birth of IVF.