Gabrielle Union to Host the Second Annual Black Girls Rock! Awards Presented by Black Girls Rock Inc. and VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Weekend

September 7, 2007, New York, NEW YORK—Fresh faced beauty, Gabrielle Union will host the proceedings for this year’s 2007 Black Girls Rock! Awards, Saturday October 6th, 2007 from 8:00pm-10:00pm at The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Hollywood starlet, will help pay tribute to the industry's most accomplished icons, such as designer Tracy Reese, scoring a nod for the Fashionista Award, and Supa Dupa fly music maven Missy Elliott, nominated for the Creative Visionary Award.

“Gabrielle Union is an extraordinary and unconventional actress with unmatched style. Her talent, charisma and personality make her an excellent choice as host for our show," said Beverly Bond, Founder and President of Black Girls Rock! Inc.; the non-profit, youth mentoring organization behind the awards show.

A who’s who of girls—and guys—who rock, have been penned into the nomination diaries. Street Soldier and Fox 5 News Correspondent, Lisa Evers, has been nominated for the Community Outreach Award; Jay-Z’s hook girl, Chrisette Michelle earns a well-deserved “nom” for the Who’s Got Next? Award for her brilliant neo-soul debut album, “I AM;” Hip-Hop icon Common, not only churns out hit after hit but has also penned the history of hip-hop with his 1994 love song to the art form, I Used to Love H.E.R. The Chicago-born rapper has been nominated for the Soul Brother #1 Award; And Philadelphia’s Power 99 breakout female deejay, DJ Diamond Kuts, has spun a nomination for the Jazzy Joyce DJ Award. With attendance still pending, the irresistibly irreplaceable Beyonce Knowles, is rumored to be taking home the Icon Award.

Entertainment mogul, Andre Harrell and Bad Boy songbird, and lead actress of Step Up 2, Cassie, will join the Black Girls Rock! Awards show in honoring the achievements of inspirational black role models who have empowered their communities, are distinguished in their particular fields, and whose creative and outstanding contributions often go unnoticed in mainstream media.

Rain Pryor, comedian and daughter of comic legend Richard Pryor, will also join the nexus of achievements in celebrating the evening’s biggest legends and supporting the show’s greatest visionaries along with The Wire Actress and Slam Poet, Sonja Sohn, Discovery Home Channel’s Celebrity Chef, Marcus Samuelson, and Fashion Expert and Model Manager, Bethann Hardison.

Parisian Designer, Catherine Malandrino, who has created an exclusive Black Girls Rock! T-shirt that will launch throughout Malandrino boutiques, will unfortunately be in Paris for Fashion Week, but will congratulate the Black Girls Rock! Awards and its winners via satellite. Malandrino has been from the start and still remains one of BGR!’s biggest supporters.

For more information on Black Girls Rock and The Black Girls Rock Awards, contact The Buzz International Group at 212.360.0399 and visit www.blackgirlsrockinc.com



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