The HALO Awards are Nickelodeon's annual ceremony which honor young community leaders from across the USA. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the 2015 Nickelodeon HALO Awards will feature one-of-a-kind performances by Fifth Harmony, DNCE with lead singer Joe Jonas, Flo Rida, Tori Kelly and WALK THE MOON along with a very special guest appearance by Justin Bieber, who will be accepting the very first HALO Hall of Fame award!
Nick Cannon host, creator and executive producer of the 2015 Nickelodeon HALO Awards. (Photo: Business Wire)
This year's four inspirational Nickelodeon HALO Awards honorees are:
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Riley Gant, Ruchita Zaparde, Nick Cannon, Joshua Williams, and Ethan Cruikshank attend the 2015 Nickelodeon HALO Awards at Pier 36 on November 14, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)
* Ethan Cruikshank, 16, Mechanicsville, Va. - A guitar player since the age of seven, Ethan Cruikshank was inspired to start Music to My Ears after his school cut music education funding. Since then, Cruikshank's music program has helped over 100 kids across four states by providing free music lessons through volunteer teachers and distributing instruments to those who can't afford them.
* Riley Gantt, 15, Sherman Oaks, Calif. - Riley Gantt's organization Rainbow Pack was born out of her desire to provide kids with the supplies they need to do their homework and be successful learners, regardless of their economic circumstances. With funds raised through fundraising, grants, social media and school supply drives, she has successfully donated over 9000 backpacks filled with school supplies to kids in the Los Angeles area.
* Joshua Williams, 14, Miami Beach, Fla. - Joshua Williams' commitment to eradicate hunger started with a roadside donation to a starving man when he was four and a half years old. Through William's organization, Joshua's Heart Foundation, he designed a food distribution system in local churches, schools and community centers, and continues to raise awareness of hunger and poverty at speaking engagements. He has distributed over 1.1 million pounds of food in South Florida, Jamaica and Africa to date, and helped feed over 50,000 people nationwide.
* Ruchita Zaparde, 18, Plainsboro, N.J. - After a family trip to India exposed Ruchita Zaparde to the plight of widows and the difficulties they faced, she started Sew A Future to help those women achieve financial stability by becoming seamstresses. Zaparde identifies widows in need in India, delivers sewing machines and supplies, and connects the kids who are fundraising in the U.S. to the recipients. Over 200 families have been raised out of poverty with the gift of a sewing machine, thanks to the fundraising efforts of over 1400 students in 30 states.
Plus, Nickelodeon gives a special nod to their first HALO Effect honoree, Jessica Collins, founder of "A Place to Sleep"!
To celebrate the debut of the 2015 Nickelodeon HALO Awards, Nick-Asia.com has launched Nick SEA's official 2015 Nickelodeon HALO Awards website, which features information about the ceremony, profiles of HALO Award honourees, plus exclusive video clips and a fantastic picture gallery featuring photos from the awards show!
The 2015 Nickelodeon HALO Awards marks the first time the awards ceremony has aired internationally.
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