R. Kelly Set for Debut VMA Performance in Miami

R. Kelly Set for Debut VMA Performance in Miami

Multi-Platinum R&B Singer Joins List of Performers for '2005 Video Music Awards' Live August 28th

NEW YORK, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV: Music Television today announced that multi-platinum selling R&B star R. Kelly has joined the line up of performers for the "2005 MTV Video Music Awards." Hosted by Diddy, the 2005 VMAs will broadcast live from American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL on Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 8:00PM (LIVE ET/Tape Delayed PT). R. Kelly joins a list of previously announced performers including 50 Cent, Coldplay, Shakira, Ludacris, Mariah Carey, the Killers, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, and Green Day.

The 2005 VMAs will also include appearances by some of the biggest names from the worlds of music, movies and television including Jessica Simpson, Lil Kim, Ricky Martin, Ashlee Simpson, Bow Wow, Eva Longoria, Nelly, Hilary Duff, Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, Ciara, Alicia Keys, Usher, Jessica Alba, Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan, Joss Stone, Jeremy Piven, and Snoop Dogg.

The 2005 VMAs will be presented for the first time on multiple MTV platforms this year giving viewers new ways to experience the show. Exclusively through MTV Overdrive, the network's hybrid broadband channel, MTV viewers will have unprecedented access to the VMAs, beyond the TV screen.

R. Kelly is the 4th best selling solo Male artist in Soundscan history. The latest release, TP.3 Reloaded, debuted this summer as the #1 selling album on both Billboard's Album 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Charts. TP.3 Reloaded is R. Kelly's 9th Top 5 debut and his 5th #1 album and features the single "Trapped In the Closet," which is the most talked about track of the year.

Since his releasing his first record more than 15 years ago, R. Kelly has sold well over 36 million albums worldwide and become a true musical icon. A multi-winning Grammy, Billboard, Soul Train and American Music Award winner, he has co-directed all of his music videos since the classic "Down Low (Nobody Has To Know)." His latest, the phenomenal "Trapped in the Closet Chapters 1- 5," was shot in High Definition format and can be seen in its entirety only on the bonus DVD of TP.3 Reloaded. Described by some as "Desperate Housewives" meets "Desperate Husbands," "Trapped in the Closet" is reminiscent of the serial movies of yesteryear, full of suspense, mystery, drama and packed with unexpected twists and turns. Fans will definitely ask to see this domestic drama again and again.

Salli Frattini and Dave Sirulnick are the Executive Producers for the "2005 MTV Video Music Awards." Michael Dempsey is Producer and Summer Strauch is Co-Producer. Beth McCarthy-Miller is Director. Kathy Flynn is Event Producer.

The "2005 MTV Video Music Awards" will be available to a potential viewing audience of over 1 billion people via MTV's 43 channels reaching 429.1 million households around the world as well as through syndication, and its convergent and original online programming will reach the entire online nation, via MTV's 38 Web sites around the world.

The official sponsors of the "2005 MTV Video Music Awards" are Gap, Jeep, Pantene, Pepsi, Revlon, Saturn, Taco Bell, and Virgin Mobile.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, mtvU, VHI, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 12 digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

Source: MTV Networks

CONTACT: Graham James, +1-212-846-8911, Graham.james@mtvstaff.com, or
Jennifer DeGuzman, +1-212-846-7175, Jennifer.deguzman@mtvstaff.com, both of
MTV; Vanessa Reyes, +1-310-752-8081, Vanessa.reyes@mtvstaff.com, or Lindsey
Schiff-Abrams, +1-310-852-8082, Lindsey.schiff-abrams@mtvstaff.com, both of
MTVN; Erica Pedreguera, MTV Latin America, +1-305-535-3788,
Erica.pedreguera@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/

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