JOHNNY DEPP TO BE HONORED WITH THE "MTV GENERATION AWARD" AT THE "2012 MTV MOVIE AWARDS"

The Black Keys Confirmed to Honor Johnny Depp

Russell Brand Hosts the 21st Annual "2012 MTV Movie Awards" Live on Sunday, June 3rd at 9:00 P.M. ET/PT on MTV

Santa Monica, CA (June 1, 2012) - MTV today announced that actor/musician Johnny Depp will be honored at the "2012 MTV Movie Awards" with the MTV Generation Award for his exceptional contributions to the film industry and for entertaining generations of the MTV audience throughout his illustrious career, live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. One of Hollywood's iconic movie stars, Depp is considered one of the most talented and accomplished actors of his time and continues to dazzle moviegoers across the world with his exceptionally diverse range of roles.

As part of the celebration, rock duo The Black Keys will perform a special rendition of their hit single "Gold On the Ceiling" in Depp's honor.

"Johnny Depp is a fearless, once-in-a-generation talent with a chameleon-like ability to inhabit any role," said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV. "With years of astonishing performances, Johnny has truly earned this Generation Award, and we look forward to honoring him with a can't-miss tribute at this year's Movie Awards."

With a devoted fan base, Depp found early success and critical acclaim in playing the title character of "Edward Scissorhands," following his role on the 1980's TV series "21 Jump Street." He then went on to star in the cult-classics "Sleepy Hollow," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and "Blow" among others. While developing an early friendship with director Tim Burton, throughout his career Depp has appeared in eight of Burton's films which feature some of his most varied and skilled performances including "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" for which Depp won the 2008 Golden Globe(R) Award for his striking portrayal, "Alice in Wonderland" and most recently "Dark Shadows." Perhaps best known for his fan-favorite and Academy Award nominated iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, Depp has set box office records and provided thrilling performances with each installment. Off-screen Depp is a music fan with a passion for playing guitar and has been honored with many awards voted on by the public.

The "MTV Generation Award" is the "MTV Movie Awards" highest honor, acknowledging an actor who can be counted on to engage the MTV audience with everything he does. Past recipients include Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey.

Hosted by comedian, actor and television personality Russell Brand, the "2012 MTV Movie Awards" will feature exclusive footage from Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' highly anticipated film THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, with director, writer, producer Christopher Nolan and actors Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman on hand to celebrate the "Dark Knight" trilogy.

Emma Stone is confirmed to receive the first ever MTV Trailblazer Award during the telecast for carving out a unique and diverse Hollywood path through her varied and rich array of theatrical roles. In addition, global music producer-performer, deejay and MTV Push artist Martin Solveig will serve as house DJ, creating movie music mash-ups that will literally remix some of film's most iconic theme scores, including "Star Wars," "Jaws" and "Pulp Fiction," along with Chart-topping indie-pop group fun. and rapper Wiz Khalifa set to perform.

Also confirmed for this year's telecast are previously announced presenters Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Sandler, Emma Watson, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, Andrew Garfield, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg.

MTV fans hold the "Power of the Popcorn" awards in their hands with voting available online via MovieAwards.MTV.com through Saturday, June 2. As always, voting for "Movie of the Year" will remain open throughout the live show on Sunday, June 3.

The telecast will air across MTV's global network of more than 60 channels reaching more than 600 million households around the world as well as through syndication. In addition, its convergent programming and content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV's more than 200 digital media properties around the world.

Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves serves as Executive Producer for the "2012 MTV Movie Awards." Garrett English serves as Executive Producer and Executive In Charge for MTV. Amy Doyle is Executive in Charge of Music and Celebrity Talent. Joanna Bomberg is Executive in Charge of Music Talent. Wendy Plaut serves as Co-Executive Producer and Executive in Charge of Celebrity Talent. Lee Lodge serves as co-Executive Producer.

Official sponsors of the "2012 MTV Movie Awards" include Bing, Chevrolet(R), Revlon(R), Sprint(R), State Farm(R) and Taco Bell(R).

About MTV:

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy(R), Grammy(R) and Peabody(R) award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

About Den of Thieves:

Founded in 2007 by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves has quickly emerged as a force for ambitious event shows and uniquely stylized reality television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, Ignjatovic and Prager launched Den of Thieves as the TV arm of the Warner Music Group in 2007. After a successful three year partnership, they branched out and are now fully independent. Den of Thieves continues to create, develop and produce original television.