Remy Martin(R) to Commemorate Achievement Among Asian American Community with the X.O Honors During '2006 Asian Excellence Awards'

Remy Martin(R) to Commemorate Achievement Among Asian American Community with the X.O Honors During '2006 Asian Excellence Awards'

Awards Show to Air on AZN Sunday, January 29, 2006, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Remy Martin(R) announced today the three recipients of the 2006 Remy Martin X.O Honors as part of "The 2006 Asian Excellence Awards," the first nationally televised gala awards show celebrating Asian American excellence. The Honors, now in their 5th year, celebrate achievement in the arts and entertainment and individual contributions in advancing the general stature of the Asian American community.

The honorees of this year's prestigious Remy Martin X.O Honors are: Inspiration - Dr. David Ho, the 1996 Time "Man of the Year" for his tremendous work in the field of HIV/Aids research and development of antiviral cocktails to fight the virus in the early stages of infection; Lifetime Achievement - Ismail Merchant (posthumously) best known for his long collaboration with James Ivory, who together founded Merchant Ivory Productions that have won several Academy Awards; and Visibility/Bridging Cultures - Quentin Tarantino for his renowned admiration and dedication to Asian cinema. Past Remy Martin X.O. Honorees have included Kelly Hu, B.D. Wong, Jason Scott Lee, Bai Ling, Lou Diamond Phillips, Pat Morita, Donnie Yen, Zhang Yimou, David Henry Hwang, Shekhar Kapur, Tan Dun, Mira Nair, Jadin Wong, and Coco Lee.

"The 2006 Asian Excellence Awards Featuring the Remy Martin X.O Honors," to be hosted this year by actress Kelly Hu and comedian Bobby Lee, will recognize preeminent Asian American artists, actors, pioneers and influencers who have helped elevate the profile of the Asian American community. The show will also feature competitive awards for a range of artistic and professional achievement.

For the past four years, Remy Martin, in conjunction with 2nd Generation, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Asian American stories to the world stage, cemented its commitment to the Asian American community through the active sponsorship of the Asian Excellence Awards show predecessor know as the "Concert of Excellence." The previous "Concert of Excellence" gala events were held annually in New York City to promote the wealth of artistic and professional accomplishments of the Asian American community. This year, Remy Martin, as lead sponsor, has partnered with AZN Television, the cable station channel for Asian America, in order to garner additional exposure on the great achievements of Asian Americans.

"Remy Martin has a rich history of commitment to the Asian American community going back to Asia itself, being one of the first cognac houses to enter Asia in the early 1900's," said Steve Hissam, Category Director for Remy Martin. "As the historical cognac brand leader in Asia, Remy Martin is synonymous with success, achievement and luxury and is so intertwined with the Asian culture that it is simply know as its icon, the Centaur, or 'Ren Ti No Ma,' translated as 'man-headed horse.'"

"As one of the first companies to support the Asian American community, it is a pleasure for Remy Martin to not only recognize, but also celebrate, the contributions of Asian Americans to society," added Mr. Hissam. "The participation in the awards is a perfect match with Remy Martin's history of excellence and the Asian American community's proven commitment to achievement."

The award show will be taped on January 19, 2006 at the legendary Wiltern Theatre in Hollywood, California and aired on AZN Television on the first day of Lunar New Year, January 29, 2006, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. This year, AZN Television is taking on the production, with Remy Martin maintaining a lead sponsorship role. Welly Yang, Syd Vinnedge and Peilin Chou are Executive Producers of the show. Veteran awards show producer Greg Sills serves as the Supervising Producer.

"We are thrilled to be a part of this celebration of the Asian American community and take on the role of bringing even greater attention to the work of the community to viewers across the nation through AZN Television," said Peilin Chou, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production, AZN Television, and Executive Producer of "The 2006 Asian Excellence Awards."

Remy Cointreau USA

Remy Cointreau USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of France's Remy Cointreau, SA. It is the exclusive U.S. importer for a variety of premium spirits and wines, including Remy Martin (R), Cointreau (R), The Macallan Scotch Whisky (R), The Famous Grouse (R), Damrak Gin (R), Mount Gay Rum (R), Galliano (R), Champagne Piper-Heidsieck (R), Champagne Charles Heidsieck (R), Marchesi Antinori (R), Masi Agricola (R), Vietti (R), Biondi Santi (R), Vina Haras de Pirque (R), Laroche (R), Merryvale(R), Piper Sonoma (R) and Bearboat (R).

About AZN Television

AZN Television is the network for Asian America. A wholly-owned company of Comcast Corporation, the channel's programming targets the fast-growing, young, affluent and English-speaking Asian American community. Genres include the most popular Asian films, dramas, documentaries and anime as well as a diverse slate of original programming. For more information, visit azntv.com

Source: Remy Martin

CONTACT: Parag Dave, +1-212-537-8094, pdave@gcigroup.com, of GCI Group
for Remy Martin; or, Teresa Wiedel, of AZN Television, +1-303-712-5457,
teresa.wiedel@azntv.com

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

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