LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, Stephen Moyer, Victoria Justice and Ariel Winter were among the celebs who took to the Hollywood Palladium stage to join host Nick Cannon for the first-ever TeenNick HALO Awards live event. The third annual TeenNick HALO Awards was held today andwill air as a 90-minute special premiering Sunday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), on Nick at Nite. Conceived, hosted and executive-produced by Cannon, the awards show recognizes and celebrates real teens who are "Helping and Leading Others" (HALO).
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.