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Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, Stephen Moyer, Victoria Justice, Ariel Winter and Others Join Host Nick Cannon at First-Ever Live TeenNick Halo Awards

During the star-studded evening, Blige rocked the stage performing her new single, "25/8" with Nuttin' But Stringz and closed the show with "The Living Proof" - both off her upcoming album My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act 1), in stores Nov. 21. Sixteen-year-old Adele Taylor was surprised with a HALO Award, given a grant for her cause and serenaded by Derulo who dedicated his hit song, "It Girl," to her in recognition of her commitment to promoting literacy. Taylor and the four existing teen honorees also each received a baton-shaped HALO award and scholarship fund from superstar presenters including Klum (2011 Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Ambassador), Williams (UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador), Moyer (Facing the Atlantic), Justice (Girl Up Champion) and Winter (GLSEN), as well as other special surprises on stage. Also, charitable celebs Slash (Los Angeles Youth Network), Wilmer Valderrama (Voto Latino) and Kris Allen (DonorsChoose.org), as well as Nickelodeon's live action stars, attended the event and special guest DJ Connor Cruise spun tunes, joining in the celebration of the extraordinary teens and their service contributions.

Previously announced HALO Award honorees -- James O'Dwyer, Emily-Anne Rigal, Shanoah Washington and Kyle Weiss - were surprised by a visit from Cannon, awarded a grant for their cause and given an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and connect with a mega-celebrity who shares a similar passion for their cause. Their celebrity matches are Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jessica Biel and David Beckham, respectively, and their taped segments will be featured in the show.

This year's HALO honorees are:

    --  Adele Taylor, 16, Williamstown, NJ (paired with Jason Derulo) - An avid
        and enthusiastic reader, Adele Taylor, of Williamstown, N.J., grew up
        understanding the value of literacy.  After learning that one in five
        adults can't read, she decided to take action.  In December 2008, at age
        13, this exuberant young lady created the organization Adele's Literacy
        Library, with the goal of promoting literacy among people of all ages. 
        Adele is honored by Jason Derulo who supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation
        among other charitable efforts.

    --  James O'Dwyer, 19, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (paired with Taylor Swift) - James
        was a freshman at University of Alabama when the devastating EF4 tornado
        hit Tuscaloosa, leaving a six mile track of destruction across the
        region.  He started Magnolia Disaster Relief, an aid program that
        targets small rural towns hit the hardest by tornadoes by delivering
        food, water, clothing, toys, furniture and fridges so affected people
        can start rebuilding their lives.  James's HALO match is Taylor Swift
        who, among her many philanthropic endeavors, raises money and awareness
        to benefit those affected by tornadoes and floods.

    --  Emily-Anne Rigal, 17, Williamsburg, Va. (paired with Lady Gaga) - As a
        young overweight girl, Emily-Anne was bullied so harshly she was forced
        to switch schools.  Recognizing how upsetting her experience with
        bullying had been, she decided to create WeStopHate.org, a teen-run
        YouTube channel and website, which helps combat bullying by motivating
        teens to share their own stories of triumph and give tips to others on
        how they too can prevail.  Her HALO match, Lady Gaga, is one of
        Emily-Anne's greatest role models and campaigns for anti-bullying laws,
        encouraging teens to be themselves.

    --  Shanoah Washington, 18, St. Petersburg, Fla. (paired with Jessica Biel)
        - Born in California, Shanoah's home life was plagued with gang violence
        until her grandmother moved her to Florida and enrolled her at the local
        Boys & Girls Club, providing her with guidance to reach her full
        potential.  She created Sista2Sista, a mentoring program which aims to
        motivate young girls through the development of self-esteem, honesty,
        self-discipline and positive thinking.  Shanoah's HALO match is Jessica
        Biel who works with Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation campaign that
        rallies girls in the U.S. to help give girls in developing countries a
        better future.

    --  Kyle Weiss, 18, Danville, Calif. (paired with David Beckham) - A huge
        soccer fan, Kyle's activism was sparked after speaking to Angolan fans
        at the 2006 World Cup and learning about the dire state of the country
        and lack of sports resources available to the youth of Africa.  Kyle and
        his brother started FUNDaFIELD, an organization that fundraises to build
        soccer fields in developing countries in Africa.  Kyle's HALO match is
        David Beckham, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, who campaigns and
        fundraises to establish education and recreational programs involving
        soccer for children around the world.

Presenting sponsors of the third annual TeenNick HALO Awards are Chevrolet, COVERGIRL, Dove, Reese's ® Puffs cereal, and Target. During the live taping, each sponsor surprised their respective teen HALO Award honorees with the following:

    --  Chevrolet funded a donation of soccer and other sports equipment for
        Kyle Weiss's FUNDaFIELD organization.
    --  To support Emily-Anne Rigal, COVERGIRL provided WeStopHate bracelets for
        her to sell on her website with all proceeds going to her WeStopHate
        cause.  Audience members also donned WeStopHate bracelets during the
        live taping.
    --  Dove rewarded Shanoah Washington and the 40+ girls in her organization
        with a self-esteem workshop to take place in the Sista2Sista
        headquarters, which is also set to receive a new look and re-design from
        Dove.
    --  Reese's ® Puffs cereal donated much needed provisions to a local food
        bank in support of James O'Dwyer's Magnolia Disaster Relief efforts.
    --  Target donated 25,000 books to three deserving Newark schools in Adele
        Taylor's home state of New Jersey in support of Adele's Literacy
        Library.

The TeenNick HALO Awards is a TeenNick Original produced by Nick Cannon, Lauren Lazin and Alex Coletti Productions.

Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon