KKBT’s Harvey Handing Out His Hoodie Awards

Steve Harvey and wife Mary are taking, oh, roughly 7,000 of their closest friends to the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday for the first “Steve Harvey Hoodie Awards,” starting at 7 p.m. and being simulcast by KKBT-FM “The Beat” (100.3), where Harvey is on the air weekday mornings.

It’s not exactly your everyday awards show, with categories such as best car wash, best church, best nail shop, best soul food and best high school teacher taking center stage. It’s an effort to recognize small businesses and grass-roots leaders in Southern California for their contribution to building a sense of community in Los Angeles, a theme Harvey has made the centerpiece of his radio show.

In all, there are 16 categories that reflect Harvey’s eclectic view of L.A., with four groups competing for the best church choir (New Philadelphia AME, Pomona Community Church of God, West Angeles Church of God in Christ, and Los Angeles Inner City Mass Choir) and another four for best local rapper (the B.L.A.C.K. Experience, Soul Unique, the Wylde Bunch and Countrified).

Harvey will not be the only Hollywood celebrity at the event, with entertainment and musical performances throughout the evening, and a lineup of presenters and performers that includes Sinbad, Cedrick the Entertainer, Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and Arsenio Hall.