NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BET HONORS 2013 is set to ignite Warner Theater with a series of soul stirring performances from Erykah Badu, Wayne Brady, Brandy, Mint Condition, Jimmy Jam, Alicia Keys, Ledisi, the SOS Band and Terry Lewis. This year's honorees include music executive and entrepreneur Clarence Avant known to many as the "Godfather of Black Music," Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry, spiritual educator T.D. Jakes, ten-time GRAMMY award winner and international music icon Chaka Khan who will be celebrating 40 years in music and entertainment and three time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie. Hosted by actress Gabrielle Union, this year's star studded show will tape on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.  BET HONORS 2013 will premiere during Black History Month, on February 11, 2013.

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BET HONORS has become a staple in BET history by celebrating extraordinary African-Americans including Cicely Tyson, Jamie Foxx, Iman, Herbie Hancock, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Sean "Diddy" Combs along with memorable past performances by Trey Songz, Ne-Yo, Yolanda Adams, Keyshia Cole, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige and Patti LaBelle.

This year's sponsors include Allstate (Award for Education – T.D. Jakes), AT&T (Entrepreneur Award – Clarence Avant), Lexus (Award for Service – Halle Berry), Pantene (Award for Musical Arts – Chaka Khan) and the U.S. Army (Awards for Athletics – Lisa Leslie).

Proceeds from BET HONORS 2013 will benefit Life Pieces to Masterpieces, Inc., an organization that provides opportunities for African American boys and young men in greater Washington, D.C. by developing and unlocking their potential and empowering them to transform their lives and communities.

Stephen Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials, BET Networks, and Lynne Harris Taylor, Vice President of Specials, BET Networks are executive producers, along with Jesse Collins of Jesse Collins Productions.

For more information on BET HONORS, visit http://www.bet.com/bethonors. Also, join the conversation about the special on Twitter by using hashtags: #BETHonors; follow the show for all updates & special surprises @BET.

*All times are ET.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), 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 90 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 business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - 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 Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution

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