New York, NY, May 21, 2009 – Spike TV is the master of its domain and will once again pay tribute to the kingdom of testosterone in the third annual “Guys Choice.” Many of the elite names in the world of music, movies, television and sports will be on display, from dominant athletes like UFC(R) heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and NBA scoring champ Dwyane Wade, to the women men love, including Halle Berry, to the funniest men in the world, Sacha Baron Cohen and Russell Brand. The two-hour event will serve as a tribute to all the things that get guys’ blood pumping. Scheduled to tape Saturday, May 30 at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, CA, “Guys Choice” premieres Sunday, June 21 (10:00 PM – Midnight, ET/PT).
Scheduled appearances include: Malin Akerman, Anvil, Judd Apatow, Halle Berry, Russell Brand, Sacha Baron Cohen, Billy Crudup, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Irvin, Jesse James, Mila Kunis, Brock Lesnar, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jason Statham, Quentin Tarantino, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, Dwyane Wade, Rainn Wilson and many more.
“Guys Choice is a one-night-only celebration of guydom and will be the biggest boys’ night out of the year,” said Casey Patterson, executive producer and senior vice-president of event production, talent development Spike TV. “We’re bowing down to everything that matters to our guys, from their childhood Heroes, Icons and Sports legends to the current comedy, women, music and movies that matter to mankind.”
One of the night’s most distinguished honors will go to Halle Berry, an actress whose world-class talent matches her iconic beauty. For her performance in “Monster’s Ball,” she won the Academy Award for Best Actress and, no stranger to accolades, Berry earned the Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG and NAACP Image Award for her extraordinary performance in HBO’s telefilm, “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” which she also produced. Berry is equally appealing to Spike guys for her action roles in the “X-Men” film franchise and as “Jinx” in the James Bond film “Die Another Day.” Berry is beloved by the masses for her great acting and incredible sex appeal, and in recognition of this rare, killer combination, she will be the recipient of this year’s “Decade of Hotness Award.”
Another honor will be presented to a man who attended Cambridge University and used his intellect to create some of most avant garde comedy in the past decade, Sacha Baron Cohen. His series “Da Ali G Show” on HBO was nominated for four Emmy Awards, and introduced to America his trio of alter egos: wise cracking hoodlum Ali G, Kazakh field reporter Borat, and Austrian fashion reporter Brüno. The first two inspired major motion pictures, the latter of which, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” grossed over a quarter of a billion dollars at cinemas worldwide and is considered one of the most influential comedy films ever. This July, he’ll complete the trilogy when he unleashes “Brüno” on the American public. In honor of his trifecta, this year’s Spike “Guy’s Choice” Awards will bestow upon Baron Cohen one of the show’s highest honors, the prized “Funniest M.F.” Award.
Spike TV will also pay special tribute to a comedic pioneer whose contributions have led to the betterment of mankind: the most influential voice in comedy today, writer, producer and director extraordinaire, Judd Apatow, will be presented with the “Mankind Award.”
The event also features the lyrical stylings of suburban hip-hop phenom Asher Roth, who will perform the hit song “I Love College” from his debut album “Asleep In The Bread Isle.” Viewers will also be treated to The Dan Band (“Old School”) throughout the evening – they will serve as the shows house band.
Voting for this year’s winners is being held online at www.guyschoice.spike.com through Friday, May 22nd. Also online, fans can log-on to view exclusive red carpet and backstage coverage of “Guys Choice.”
The official sponsors of Spike TV’s “Guys Choice” are – AT&T, Corona, Degree V12, Pizza Hut, and the U.S. Army.
Casey Patterson, Carol Donovan and Beth McCarthy-Miller will serve as executive producers.
Spike TV is available in 98 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com.