CULTURE'S BIGGEST NIGHT - THE "BET AWARDS" - RETURNS LIVE JUNE 27TH FROM THE MICROSOFT THEATER AT L.A. LIVE VACCINATED PEOPLE ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE A PART OF THE LIVE SHOW AUDIENCE

New York, NY (May 18, 2021) - BET announced today that the 2021 "BET Awards" will return LIVE, Sunday, June 27th, from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live. Culture's biggest night will celebrate the brightest stars across music, television, film, sports, and social impact. The 2020 "BET Awards" broke ground as the first official award show to move forward during the global pandemic and claimed the top spot as the #1 Cable Awards Show among P18-49 for the 2020 broadcast season, for the sixth consecutive calendar year (2015-2020)*. Returning with a live show audience, BET also announced that vaccinated individuals can register starting May 27th for consideration to be a part of the 2021 "BET Awards". BET will work closely with Los Angeles County to support community vaccination efforts and ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols. The official 2021 "BET Awards" nominations are to be announced at a later date.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, BET has been at the forefront of recovery efforts for our community, turning entertainment touchpoints into opportunities to empower our audiences and help combat the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19," said BET President Scott Mills. "Vaccination rates among Black Americans are significantly lower than other communities. We are committed to using our signature programming event - The BET Awards - to encourage vaccination in our community."

BET is committed to supporting Black America's recovery from the disproportionate effects of COVID-19, and is leading several campaigns on vaccine adoption, action, and access. Last year, BET worked with a host of partners and raised over $19 million dollars to assist nearly 4 million people impacted by COVID-19. BET continues to be a devoted resource to communities of color providing support and facts about COVID-19, the vaccine, and survival.

Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET will oversee the 2021 "BET Awards" and serve as Executive Producer along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

Visit BET.com/BETAwards for vaccine answers and more information on audience selection and eligibility, as well as the latest news and updates about this year's show. Join the conversation on social media by following #BETAwards on all social platforms.

*Source: Nielsen Fasties | Live+SD | 6/28/2020 | Historical data based on Nielsen Live+SD; Tentpole rankings based on home network only

About BET:

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), 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 is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT "BET AWARDS"

The "BET Awards" is one of the most-watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The "BET Awards" franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT

Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE's film development projects which could include Viacom's film entities such as Paramount Players. The award-winning and critically acclaimed television that JCE has produced includes miniseries - The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story; scripted series - American Soul and Real Husbands of Hollywood; children's series - Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices; award shows - BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF's An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards, ABFF Honors and Soul Train Awards; specials - John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales I Be Knowin', Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine; as well as competition/game shows - Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares, Nashville Squares and Rhythm & Flow. Jesse Collins, founder and CEO of the company, is the executive producer of all programming. He is also a co-executive producer for the iconic Grammy Awards. Most recently, he was executive producer of The 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show and produced The 2021 Academy Awards. Go to jessecollinsent.com for more information on the company.