VH1 to Air Nelson Mandela Tribute Concert

NEW YORK, June 4: VH1 will
be the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of The 46664 Concert Honouring Nelson
Mandela at 90, which will take
place June 27 in London’s Hyde Park, hosted by Will Smith.

The concert will also be
streamed live on VH1.com at MandelaConcert.VH1.com, with a two-hour special
featuring highlights airing on VH1 on June 30 at 9 p.m. VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul
and MHD: Music High Definition will simulcast the event.

Artists slated to perform
include Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox, The Sugababes, Simple Minds,
Dame Shirley Bassey, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Jerry Dammers and Razorlight, with
Oprah Winfrey, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
Robert De Niro and Forest Whitaker set to attend some of the events surrounding
the three-day celebration. The concert proceeds will benefit Nelson Mandela's
HIV/AIDS charity 46664, which he founded in 2002.

"Nelson Mandela
epitomizes strength and courage around the world,” said Tom Calderone, VH1's executive
VP and general manager. “He has come to symbolize hope, working tirelessly
through his 46664 organization to raise awareness about the impact of AIDS,
especially in Africa, and promote HIV-prevention measures globally.”

He added: "We at VH1
have a long history of proactively engaging our viewers in the fight against
HIV/AIDS. We are proud to be a part of this momentous occasion and are eager to
share the celebration with music fans across the U.S."

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski