The Lovely LisaRaye

First-Ever Comedy Awards
Telecast Hosted by Steve
Harvey
The Wayans Family to Receive
BET'S Inaugural Comedy Icon
Award; Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock
and Wanda Sykes Among Celebs
to be Featured 'LIVE' from
Pasadena's Civic Auditorium on
September 28


Los Angeles, CAâ??September 8,
2004â??BET, ho
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The Lovely LisaRaye

First-Ever Comedy Awards
Telecast Hosted by Steve
Harvey
The Wayans Family to Receive
BET'S Inaugural Comedy Icon
Award; Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock
and Wanda Sykes Among Celebs
to be Featured 'LIVE' from
Pasadena's Civic Auditorium on
September 28


Los Angeles, CAâ??September 8,
2004â??BET, home of COMICVIEW,
television's longest-running
stand-up showcase and the
premiere network for urban
comedy, cranks up the laugh
meter to high voltage when it
stages the network's
first-ever BET COMEDY AWARDS.
Televised LIVE* from the
historic Pasadena Civic
Auditorium on Tuesday,
September 28, at 9 p.m. ET/PT,
the BET COMEDY AWARDS gives
well-deserved props to the
urban comedy world's
best-in-class, recognizing
outstanding achievement in
comedic film, television and
stand-up performance across 17
categories. Veteran comedian,
actor and syndicated radio
personality Steve Harvey will
host the inaugural event,
joined by the most hilarious
entertainers in the business.
Topping the list of nominees
are 'The Bernie Mac Show'
(FOX), 'The Parkers,'
'Girlfriends' (UPN), 'My Wife
and Kids' (ABC), and
'Chappelle's Show' (Comedy
Central); box office
blockbusters 'White Chicks'
and 'Barbershop 2'; and
stand-out comedic performers
Bernie Mac, Queen Latifah,
Chris Rock, Mo'Nique, Cedric
The Entertainer, Gabrielle
Union and Wanda Sykes.

'The Bernie Mac Show' is the
most nominated series with
eight nods, including Bernie
Mac as Outstanding Lead Actor
In a Comedy Series, followed
by 'Girlfriends' with seven
nominations. Kellita Smith of
'The Bernie Mac Show' was
tapped by the voting academy
in the Outstanding Actress in
a Comedy Series category,
Jeremy Suarez scored for
Outstanding Supporting Actor
in a Comedy Series, while cast
mates Camille Winbush and Dee
Dee Davis were both recognized
in the Outstanding Supporting
Actress in a Comedy Series
category. The show's
production team earned
nominations for Outstanding
Writing for a Comedy Series
and Outstanding Directing for
a Comedy Series, with the
entire cast receiving a
collective nod in the
Outstanding Comedy Series
category amid stiff
competition from
'Girlfriends,' 'My Wife and
Kids' and 'The Parkers' who
also received multiple
nominations. In addition,
Bernie Mac is nominated for
Outstanding Supporting Actor
in a Box Office Movie for his
starring role in 'Bad Santa.'
'My Wife and Kids' netted a
total of six nominations,
closely followed by 'The
Parkers' with five.

The two-hour telecast,
sponsored by Dodge, is
jam-packed from start to
finish. The festivities kick
off with star-studded red
carpet arrivals during the
live half-hour BET COMEDY
AWARDS Pre-Show at 8:30 p.m.
ET/PT, capturing the sizzling
fashions and entrances of
urban comedy's A-List stars.
Then, the action shifts to
center stage of the Pasadena
Civic Center where Steve
Harvey holds court, setting
off an evening of
side-splitting on stage
routines and sketches,
stand-up turns by the
industry's hottest
up-and-comers, and
electrifying musical
performances. The show
features appearances and
performances by Jamie Foxx,
Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes,
Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon
Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon
Wayans, Duane Martin, Tisha
Campbell-Martin, and Kym
Whitley; BET's own Rickey
Smiley, Bruce Bruce and Kim
Coles; and super-group 213,
featuring Snoop Dogg, Warren G
and Nate Dogg.

Category Entertainment

Tags BET, COMEDY, AWARDS, PASADENA, CA, WAYANS, DAMON, Jamie, Foxx, Chris, Rock, Wanda, Sykes, Keenen, Ivory, Shawn