20th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration set to air on BET Networks

(ATLANTA) – January 9, 2019 – Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms officially welcomed the 20^th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration (SBGC) to Atlanta during a press conference today at City Hall with officials from the NFL, the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee, Boys & Girls Club of America and Radio One in attendance.

Returning to Atlanta for its 20^th anniversary, the concert will be taped in front of a live audience on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Atlanta Symphony Hall during Super Bowl LIII week. National radio and tv personality Rickey Smiley is set to co-host the show, which will feature performances by Kirk Franklin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, The Winans and the Super Bowl Gospel NFL Players Choir. More talent will be announced

The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration special will premiere exclusively on BET Networks on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 8:00PM ET.

“Atlanta is proud to host the 20th anniversary Super Bowl Gospel Celebration,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “As a beacon of Southern hospitality and the cradle of the civil rights movement in America, Atlanta is excited to showcase the greatest talents in gospel music on the stage of Atlanta Symphony Hall. We look forward to sharing this memorable concert experience through the telecast on BET Networks.”

Credit: Marcus Ingram/Super Bowl Gospel Celebration

“I can think of no better place to host our 20^th Super Bowl Gospel Celebration than in my hometown of Atlanta,” says Melanie Few-Harrison, NFL Sanctioned Holder, Creator & Executive Producer of the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration. “Atlanta’s vibrant music scene, rich culture and diverse community are the perfect backdrop for Super Bowl 53 and all of our incredible artists will inspire audiences, touch lives & put on a show the city will never forget!”

“We are proud to have The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration as a sanctioned event partner with the NFL and we celebrate this 20-year milestone!” said Arthur McAfee, NFL, Senior Vice President of Player Engagement. “The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration is a favorite with the players and one of the best attended and most talked about events during the Super Bowl weekend year after year. We look forward to continuing to build this relationship with the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration as it continues to grow.”

“On behalf of BET Networks, we are beyond excited to partner with Melanie Few and the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration team for the 6th year in a row to bring the special to our loyal BET audience and gospel fans around the world,” said Connie Orlando, Head of Programming for BET Networks. “We congratulate Melanie and team on the 20th Anniversary of Super Bowl Gospel Celebration and for bringing this inspiring and uplifting event to her hometown of Atlanta, GA. Each year we have continued to see the growth of the special, drawing in thousands of fans in each city – from Minnesota to Houston to Arizona – and we are proud to have been there every step of the way! We look forward to continuing our partnership with another successful Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.”

Credit: Marcus Ingram/Super Bowl Gospel Celebration

Originating at Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, the annual event joins together key NFL Players, top Gospel/Contemporary Christian and mainstream GRAMMY® Award-winning artists and special guests all on one stage to bring audiences an evening of uplifting music and inspirational messages.

By far, the largest multicultural event to take place during Super Bowl weekend in its 20-year run as an NFL-sanctioned event, SBGC has featured artists including Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, Gladys Knight, Natalie Grant, Mary Mary, Fantasia, Donnie McClurkin, Anthony Hamilton, among many others.

For information and tickets, visit superbowlgospel.com.

ABOUT THE SUPER BOWL GOSPEL CELEBRATION:

The Super Bowl Gospel Celebration was launched in Miami in 1999 during Super Bowl XXXIII weekend. The event became the first, and remains the only Gospel concert sanctioned by the National Football League (NFL). The show has drawn crowds in the thousands and has demonstrated growth year-after-year, selling out venues in major Super Bowl host cities including Dallas, Tampa, Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and Phoenix.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT ATLANTA SYMPHONY HALL:

Atlanta Symphony Hall has served as the home venue of the Grammy® Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) since its construction in 1968. Located in the Woodruff Arts Center’s Memorial Arts Building, Atlanta Symphony Hall hosts more than 130 acts and performances each year, including ASO’s Delta Classical Series, Family Concert Series, Coca-Cola Holiday Concerts and educational concerts, as well as renowned musicians and entertainers from Delta Atlanta Symphony Hall LIVE. With a capacity of 1,800, more than 225,000 audience members visit the Hall each year.