Tyra Banks, Justin Bieber, Josh Duhamel and Emma Stone Honor Four Teens for Their Commitment to Service in Fourth Annual TeenNick HALO Awards

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tyra Banks, Justin Bieber, Josh Duhamel and Emma Stone join creator, host and executive producer Nick Cannon in celebrating four exceptional teens in this year's TeenNick HALO Awards.  Recognizing real-life teens who are "Helping and Leading Others" (HALO), the fourth annual awards show pairs each honoree with a mega-celebrity who shares their commitment to service.  The TeenNick HALO Awards will be taped live from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 17 and premiere Monday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nick at Nite.  The 90-minute special will feature musical performances, celebrity presenters and special surprises.  The TeenNick HALO Awards will encore Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 10 p.m. (ET) on TeenNick. 

(Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121030/NY02413 )

"Each year we continue to be inspired by young people giving of themselves and we are honored to give back to them," said Nick Cannon.  "We applaud these HALO honorees and their outstanding commitment to service on a local and national level."

"The TeenNick HALO Awards started out as a concept Nick Cannon brought to us and it's become a movement that has grown with every person it touches – the teens who serve others, the celebrities who honor them, the people whose lives they've impacted and the viewers who are left inspired," said Paula Kaplan, Executive Vice President, Current Series, Nickelodeon.  "We hope by celebrating teens each year with this show, it will motivate other teens to create positive changes in their communities."

Each TeenNick HALO Award honoree was surprised by a visit from Cannon, awarded a grant for their organization and given an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and connect with a celebrity who shares a similar passion for their cause.  This year's honorees are:

Allyson Ahlstrom, 17, Santa Rosa, Calif. (paired with Tyra Banks) -- A bubbly and fashion forward self-starter, Allyson Ahlstrom was inspired to combine her love of fashion and community service to create Threads for Teens, an organization that collects and distributes clothing to disadvantaged (low income, foster care, etc.) teen girls.  She provides one-on-one support to every one of the girls as they shop, bonding over fashion, talking about their lives and sharing motivational advice.  In just two years Ahlstrom moved her organization into a fashionable pink boutique, raised over $130,000 in product donations and outfitted over 200 girls.  Ahlstrom's HALO match, Tyra Banks, started TZONE at the Lower Eastside Girls Club, providing a rich mix of career development workshops, mentoring, experiential learning opportunities, financial literacy initiatives and community-wide events so hundreds of girls will build self-esteem and develop the tools they need to prepare for lives as entrepreneurs and change-makers in the world.  

Matt Ferguson, 18, Hillsboro, Ore. (paired with Emma Stone) -- Matt Ferguson was inspired to start Matt's Chemo Bags after finding out his mom had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.  He began building bags of essential items (lotion, tissues, warm socks, a handmade blanket, a lap pillow, notebook) to distribute to women suffering from breast cancer in hopes that it would bring them the same comfort that a similar bag brought his own mother as she went through chemotherapy.  His organization now services all of Oregon, Southwest Washington, and Northern California and has distributed over 7,500 bags.  Ferguson's HALO match, Emma Stone, is an advocate for Stand Up To Cancer, an initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.

Kylie Lan Tumiatti, 16, West Melbourne, Fla. (paired with Justin Bieber) -- Kylie Lan Tumiatti developed a passion for giving back to the community early on, after watching her younger sister struggle with learning English.  Tumiatti decided to help others who faced similar obstacles and partnered with Operation Hope Florida, a non-profit facility that provides prekindergarten classes to children of migrant workers.  Together they implemented a literacy program that enhances the language skills of young children while simultaneously instilling a love of stories and books.  Tumiatti's HALO match, Justin Bieber, is big supporter of Pencils of Promise, which works to build schools and increase educational opportunities in the developing world.

Taylor Waters, 19, Sanford, N.C. (paired with Josh Duhamel) -- A compassionate leader and aspiring teacher, Taylor Waters belief in giving back to her community stems from her personal experiences with disaster.  She continues to encourage youth involvement through her hometown American Red Cross and she is establishing her own Red Cross Club at East Carolina University.  Waters' HALO match is Josh Duhamel, who supports the disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross, as well as his hometown's Minot Area Community Foundation in North Dakota which establishes permanently endowed funds to support both local and national charities and charitable causes.

The offerings on the TeenNick HALO Awards dedicated site will include behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with the HALO honorees, along with celeb and honoree profiles, photo galleries and a collection of inspiring, HALO-themed personality quizzes.  Content will also be available via TeenNick's social media channels and will roll out throughout the month of November and in the week leading up to the event.  Users can upload their own videos explaining how they HALO, with the best videos to appear on air and on TeenNick.com. Users will also be able to nominate a friend for next year's TeenNick HALO Awards.

Presenting sponsors of the fourth annual TeenNick HALO Awards are Chevrolet, COVERGIRL, Reese's Puffs® cereal and Target.

Nickelodeon, now in its 33^rd 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 17 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. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon

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