New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ BR!CK Awards) - The BR!CK Awards, the first and only televised award show honoring young people who are making the world a better place will air nationwide on the CW Network April 12th and will be hosted by
LeAnn Rimes with musical performances by
Mandy Moore and Dashboard Confessional. The BR!CK Awards honors 12 young leaders ranging in age from 11 to 25 who identified issues close to them and then took steps to do something about it. Award categories include public health, community building, education and environment. Petra Nemcova and Lance Armstrong will also receive awards for their work with the Happy Hearts Fund and the Lance Armstrong Foundation respectively.
Celebrity presenters and participants who will celebrate the 12 BRICK Award winners include Wyclef Jean, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Susan Sarandon, Damien Fahey, Hilarie Burton, Bryan Greenberg, Hilary Swank and Jason Ritter. The BR!CK Awards will be produced by Alex Coletti, who has created and produced some of the most memorable award show moments in television history. The show will be sponsored by General Motors and Pepsi. JPMorgan Chase will serve as the official financial services sponsor of the BR!CK Awards.
This is the first award show produced by the newly formed Alex Coletti Productions and the first award show on the new CW Network. "It's a pleasure to broadcast a show that will shine the spotlight on this extraordinary group of young people," said Dawn Ostroff, president, entertainment, The CW. "Important achievements like these are to be celebrated and applauded, and this show is a great way to accomplish that."
'I'm excited to shake up the award show formula with something so truly meaningful,' said Alex Coletti. 'It will be great to watch the celebrities stand up and cheer for these young people who are making such an incredible difference in the world around them.'
'This isn't your typical celebrity award show. The kids are first and foremost the focus. All of the celebrities involved will be introduced for their charitable contributions not for their background in the entertainment industry. We are honoring young people who maybe can't sing or skate, young people who took it upon themselves to make changes where changes needed to be made, to do the really important work that often goes unnoticed,' said Nancy Lublin, CEO of the BR!CK Awards.
Each of the 12 BR!CK Winners will receive a $10,000 community grant to continue their work. Four of the 12 winners will be selected as Golden BR!CK Winners during the BR!CK Awards show. The Golden BR!CK Winners will receive an additional $15,000 community grant for a total of $25,000. 'The BR!CK trophy is nothing like an Oscar. It's not as shiny and perfect," said Nancy Lubin. "It's a brick. It's gritty. But it's a building block,' Lublin said.
A survivor of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, BR!CK Award honoree Petra Nemcova founded The Happy Hearts Fund in 2005 to aid children in need who have suffered loss or hardship as a result of natural, economic or health-related disasters. Happy Hearts has raised over $1.7 million to help children in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Pakistan live healthy, happier lives filled with hope instead of fear. Petra just returned from Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam where, together with Hewlett Packard she and HHF are opening schools and computer labs for children in need around the world.
At age 25, Lance Armstrong was one of the world's best cyclists. He proved it by winning the World Championships, the Tour Du Pont and multiple Tour de France stages. Lance Armstrong seemed invincible and his future was bright. Then they told him he had cancer. During his treatment, before his recovery, before he even knew his own fate, he created the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This marked the beginning of Lance's life as an advocate for people living with cancer and a world representative for the cancer community.
At just twenty four years old two time Grammy winner LeAnn Rimes knows what it means to reach for your dreams. LeAnn is set to release her 10th studio album, 'Family,' on August 28, 2007. For the first time, she co-wrote all of the songs on the album she executive produced with Dan Huff. A fervent supporter of various philanthropic causes, Rimes most recently worked as international spokesperson for Children's Miracle Network, the Giving Hearts Organization and the Coalition to Salute Heroes. She is also an avid proponent of animal rights organizations and has performed on US Army and Air Force bases and volunteered for Hurricane Relief.
Mandy Moore will perform the empowering anthem, Extraordinary, the first single off her highly anticipated new album, Wild Hope in stores June 19th. Recorded at Allaire Studios in Woodstock, NY and produced by John Alagia, Wild Hope epitomizes a labor of love and showcases Moore's foray in to songwriting. In collaboration with a slew of critically acclaimed singer-songwriters, the result of this two year endeavor is an organic, folk album with pop sensibilities boasting beautifully constructed melodies, compelling vocals and sophisticated lyrical content. Moore, a multi-talent who has sold over 7 million albums, will also appear in multiple films this year co-starring with the likes of Diane Keaton, Robin Williams and Billy Crudup, among other esteemed actors
Dashboard Confessional will perform 'Stolen,' the second single and Top 40 hit from their critically acclaimed fourth album Dusk and Summer. The band – singer/guitarist Chris Carrabba, guitarist John Lefler, bassist Scott Schoenbeck and drummer Mike Marsh – ended 2006 on a high note with a sold-out show at New York City's legendary Madison Square Garden and continue to tour in support of their new CD. Recorded with Don Gilmore and Daniel Lanois, the album debuted at Number Two on the Billboard Albums Chart and at Number One on the iTunes Top Albums Chart following its June 26th release on Vagrant Records. Dusk and Summer is the follow up to 2003's million-selling A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar and continues to build momentum, having already been certified gold.
Check out the outstanding accomplishments of the 12 young leaders receiving a BR!CK Award and vote for the Golden BR!CK Winners at www.brickawards.org Permanent residents and citizens of the U.S. and Canada were eligible to apply for the BRICK Award.
