MTV Films Celebrates Three Academy Award(R) Nominations

MTV Films Celebrates Three Academy Award(R) Nominations

Today's Nominations for 'Hustle & Flow' and 'Murderball' Include Best Actor, Best Original Song and Best Documentary Feature

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Films has enjoyed success with the critically acclaimed acquisition "Hustle & Flow," winner of the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and also released the documentary "Murderball," winner of the Documentary Competition Audience Award at the same festival. Today, both of these films were nominated for Academy Awards(R).

MTV Films' Executive Vice President David Gale today congratulated the Academy Award nominees by saying, "When we saw 'Murderball' and 'Hustle & Flow' at Sundance, we loved their unconventional subject matter and each filmmakers' distinct voice. We knew they would have a perfect home at MTV Films and are ecstatic that the Academy has recognized them."

"Hustle & Flow" garnered Terrence Howard a Best Actor nod and the films track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" with music and lyrics by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard was nominated for Best Original Song.

The critically-acclaimed documentary "Murderball," a film about tough, highly competitive rugby players, was nominated in the Best Feature Documentary category. THINKFilm, aware of MTV's passionate interest in the project after its screening at Sundance, recognized that Murderball's audience would only be expanded by a partnership with MTV, a preeminent brand for America's teenagers and young adults. This is the second year in a row the Academy has acknowledged a project from MTV Films in this category, with a 2005 nod given to "Tupac: Resurrection."

MTV Films are released in conjunction with Paramount Pictures.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

Source: MTV Networks

CONTACT: Todd Phillips of MTV, +1-212-258-7004

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

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