VOTING STARTS TODAY FOR 49TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR – SIX NOMINEES INCLUDE AVA DUVERNAY, JAY-Z, CHADWICK BOSEMAN WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED LIVE DURING 49TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS ON TV ONE MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2018 LOS ANGELES, CA

(October 9, 2017) – Today voting opens for the 49TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS – NAACP ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR, the winner will be revealed during the two-hour special airing live on TV One, Monday, January 15, 2018, the federal holiday marking the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The six nominees are: Chadwick Boseman, Ava DuVernay, Bruno Mars, Issa Rae, Chance the Rapper, and Jay-Z. The voting is open to the general public starting today, October 9, by visiting the NAACP Image Awards website http://www.naacpimagewards.net – the only place to vote for 49TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS – NAACP ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR. Voting closes on November 17. The NAACP Image Awards is the preeminent

The NAACP Image Awards is the preeminent multicultural awards show, from an African American point of view. It celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. The NAACP Image Awards is the most respected event of its kind and is well attended by many of the top names in the entertainment industry. In recent years some of the biggest names in film, television and music appeared including Denzel Washington, Oprah, John Legend, Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Dwayne Johnson, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gina Rodriguez, Chrissy Teigen, Kerry Washington, Nate Parker, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tika Sumpter, Keegan-Michael Key, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Spike Lee, Loretta Devine, Shonda Rhimes, Omari Hardwick, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Don Cheadle, Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer, Michael Ealy, Ken Jeong, Sylvester Stallone, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Gabourey Sidibe, Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Trevor Noah, and more. For all information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website.

In recent years some of the biggest names in film, television and music appeared including Denzel Washington, Oprah, John Legend, Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Dwayne Johnson, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gina Rodriguez, Chrissy Teigen, Kerry Washington, Nate Parker, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tika Sumpter, Keegan-Michael Key, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Spike Lee, Loretta Devine, Shonda Rhimes, Omari Hardwick, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Don Cheadle, Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer, Michael Ealy, Ken Jeong, Sylvester Stallone, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Gabourey Sidibe, Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Trevor Noah, and more.

For all information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at: http://www.naacpimageawards.net. FB: /naacpimageaward | Twitter: @naacpimageaward (#ImageAwards) ### About NAACP: Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. Read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas at NAACP.org. About TV One: Launched in January 2004, TV One serves 59 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and

About TV One: Launched in January 2004, TV One serves 59 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult black viewers. The network represents the best in black culture and entertainment with fan favorite shows Unsung, Rickey Smiley For Real, Fatal Attraction, The Manns and The NAACP Image Awards. In addition, TV One is the cable home of blockbuster drama Empire, and NewsOne Now, the only live daily news program dedicated to black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Urban One, Inc., formerly known as Radio One, Inc. [NASDAQ: UONE and UONEK, http://www.urban1.com], the largest African-American owned multi-media company primarily targeting Black and urban audiences. For more information about TV One, viewers can join the conversation by visiting the network’s companion website at http://www.tvone.tv>. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram