Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and The Band Perry Join Lineup for TNT's Christmas in Washington, Hosted by Conan O'Brien
Concert Premieres Exclusively on TNT Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)
It's going to be a holiday to remember as Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and The Band Perry are set to come together in the nation's capital for TNT's annual Christmas in Washington special. Hosted this year by Conan O'Brien, the star-studded concert will premiere Friday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on TNT.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Christmas in Washington is a holiday tradition benefiting the Children's National Medical Center. The concert is attended each year by the President and First Lady and other Washington VIPs. Christmas in Washington will be taped at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Conan O'Brien, the star of TBS's hit late-night series CONAN, is making his first appearance as host of Christmas in Washington. Earlier this year, he earned an Emmy(R) nomination (his 19th) for his work on CONAN, and his show was nominated for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series.
Justin Bieber, whose first-ever holiday album Under the Mistletoe is now on sale, is a worldwide phenomenon. An Ontario native, Bieber began his career through a series of online videos he posted after placing second in a local singing competition in 2007. The videos caught the attention of So So Def marketing executive Scooter Braun, who provided an opportunity for Bieber to audition for R&B star Usher, who signed the 15-year-old to a recording contract. In 2009, Bieber's first hit single, "One More Time," hit the charts, followed quickly by the release of his platinum debut album, My World. The following year saw the release of his first full studio album, My World 2.0, featuring the international Top 10 hit "Baby." The music video for "Baby" wound up becoming the most-watched video in the history of YouTube. Bieber has enjoyed tremendous success with his subsequent albums, including My World Acoustic and Never Say Never - The Remixes, featuring songs from his blockbuster 3D concert movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Bieber was named Artist of the Year at the 2010 American Music Awards and, early this year, earned a pair of Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album. Bieber will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Under the Mistletoe to charity as part of his new Believe charity drive initiative.
Cee Lo Green is a singer-songwriter, rapper, producer, actor and one of the busiest men in show business. He recently received five 2011 Grammy(R) nominations for his worldwide hit "Forget You" (aka "F--- You"), winning the category for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Among his many activities this year, he served as a judge/mentor on the popular singing competition series The Voice. His new talk show, Talking to Strangers, premiered on Fuse TV in June. Green first came onto the music scene in 1995 as a member of the hip-hop group Goodie Mob. They released their debut album, Soul Food, which shot them to the top of the emerging Southern rap scene. Goodie Mob released two more albums, Still Standing and World Party, and recently returned to the studio to record a new album. After Green's success with Goodie Mob, he reinvented himself and formed Gnarls Barkley with DJ-producer Danger Mouse, releasing the chart-topping hit "Crazy" in 2006. He then turned his focus to his solo career, resulting in the acclaimed 2010 album The Lady Killer. Green will soon appear in the film Sparkle and will return for the second season of The Voice in February 2012. He is also presently in the studio working on a new solo album featuring covers of his favorite classic songs, as well as a new Goodie Mob album.
Jennifer Hudson is an Academy Award(R)-winning actress and Grammy-winning recording artist. In January 2012, she will release her first book, I Got This, an inspirational weight-loss memoir for Dutton Publishing, and will next be seen on the big-screen in the Farrelly Brothers' comedy The Three Stooges. Hudson won an Oscar(R) and numerous other accolades for her performance as Effie in the smash hit Dreamgirls. She also received an NAACP Image Award nomination in 2009 for her role in The Secret Life of Bees. On the music front, Hudson released her sophomore album, I Remember Me, earlier this year to rave reviews. The album debuted at #2 and has since been certified gold. Previously, Hudson's self-titled debut album sold more than 1.1 million copies and won the Grammy for Best R&B Album.
Victoria Justice is the star of the hit series Victorious and recently completed filming Fun Size, a big-screen comedy due out in 2012. On top of that she is a budding sensation in both the music and fashion worlds. Justice's vocal talents are showcased on the album Victorious, the first official soundtrack from the series. Several of the songs have already turned into bona fide smashes, including "Freak the Freak Out," which has sold more than 600,000 digital copies. Other hit singles from the album include "Beggin' On Your Knees," "Best Friend's Brother" and the show's theme song "Make it Shine," which was co-written and produced by Dr. Luke. After debuting at #5 on the Top 200 charts and at #2 on the pop charts, the album had more than 1.8 million downloads for the first four singles. Prior to her current show, Justice co-starred in the series Zoey 101. She has been nominated for Teen Choice and Kids' Choice Awards, an NAACP Image Award, an ALMA award, as well as an Imagen Foundation Award. She is currently working on a new solo album and is filming the third season of Victorious.
The Band Perry is heading into the holidays after having just won three Country Music Association Awards: New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year. That's on top of three American Music Award nominations and six American Country Award nominations under their wing. Earlier this year, they won the CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year; the Best New Live Act Award; and two Academy of Country Music Awards for Best New Duo or Group of the Year and Best New Artist of the Year. The Band Perry has also been nominated for a Grammy and numerous other awards. The trio's "modern throwback" style combines classic country with an eclectic infusion of rock, gospel and soul. As songwriters and musicians, their sound is distinct and rounded out by perfect three-part harmonies. The Band Perry's self-titled debut album was released in October 2010 and was certified gold just four months later. It is poised to go platinum by the end of 2011. The album contains the triple-platinum, Grammy-nominated single "If I Die Young"; the Top 10 single "You Lie" and the romantic ballad "All Your Life."
TNT has been televising Christmas in Washington since 1999. The show has earned two Emmys(R) for Musical Direction and 12 nominations overall. Christmas in Washington is executive-produced by 15-time Emmy winner George Stevens, Jr. and directed and produced by four-time Emmy winner Michael Stevens for The Stevens Company. Most recently, the pair produced Thurgood for HBO. They previously produced the We Are One concert at the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama and earned Emmys for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Kennedy Center Honors - one of only 12 programs ever to win three consecutive years.
For TNT, Ricki Rosenfeld and David Bryant serve as executives in charge of production, with Mark Shimmel returning for his seventh year as music executive for TNT.
About TNT
TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama. Seen in 100.5 million households, the network is home to such original series as The Closer, starring Emmy(R) winner Kyra Sedgwick; Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Falling Skies, starring Noah Wyle; Franklin & Bash, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Southland, from Emmy-winning producer John Wells, as well as the upcoming series Major Crimes, Dallas and Perception. TNT also presents compelling original movies, including a slate of thrillers set to premiere this winter in The TNT Mystery Movie Night showcase. TNT is the cable home to powerful dramas like The Mentalist, Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and, starting next year, Castle; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards(R); blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. TNT is available in high-definition.
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