Carrie Underwood, Leona Lewis to Perform at Third Annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute”

CNN today announced performers and presenters who are slated to appear at the third annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” which honors everyday citizens who are making a difference in their communities and beyond. Hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the program will air globally on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26, at 9pm ET on CNN/U.S., CNN International and CNN en Espanol.

Celebrities scheduled to present include: Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Carrie Underwood and Leona Lewis will each perform at the gala. Additional appearances will be announced in days to come.

The Top 10 CNN Heroes, as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel, were unveiled by Anderson Cooper on CNN last month. The public will select the “CNN Hero of the Year” via voting at CNN.com/Heroes, which concludes on November 19, at 6am ET. During the November 26 broadcast, the Top Ten Heroes will each be awarded $25,000, and CNN will reveal the CNN Hero of the Year, who will receive an additional $100,000.

This Year’s Blue Ribbon Panel judges included: Sir Elton John, Colin Powell, Mariane Pearl, Shakira, Wallis Annenberg, Tavis Smiley, Ted Turner, Tory Burch, Kirk Cameron, Whoopi Goldberg, Malaak Compton-Rock, Rossana Rosado, and Masi Oka. In its third year, the CNN HEROES initiative garnered a record number of nominations – over 9,000 – and a record number of online votes for CNN Hero of the Year, surpassing two million votes.

Joel Gallen, who has helmed ambitious telethon events supporting victims of both the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, returns as executive producer for the event. Kelly Flynn is senior executive producer for the CNN Heroes initiative.