J.Lo, Nelly Join MTV's Tsunami Aid

Jennifer Lopez (news) is the latest A-lister to pitch in on tsunami relief efforts.

J.Lo is joining an all-star bill for the MTV Asia Aid benefit, set to air on all MTV channels worldwide on Feb. 3, including MTV2 in the U.S. at 9 a.m. ET.

The special, which will be held at the IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, will feature live performances from Alicia Keys, Good Charlotte, Kelly Clarkson (news), Hoobastank and Simple Plan, along with many of Asia's top music stars, including India's Asha Bhosle, Japan's Namie Amura, Thailand's Tata Young (news) and Bird Thongchair McIntyre, and Malaysia's Siti Nurhaliza (news).

The cable network will also broadcast a prerecorded performance contributed by Lopez, who was unable to attend. Several other artists who couldn't make the Feb. 3 show in person--including Ricky Martin (news - web sites), Sting, Green Day, Nelly, 50 Cent and Moby--will tape spots to air during the concert urging viewers to donate generously toward relief efforts.

"The entire world is united by the devastation of this tragedy," said Nelly in a statement. "It's an issue of humanity. History will judge us on our compassionate and immediate response."

"The people of South Asia need our help to rebuild their lives. This is an opportunity to keep giving, and your generosity and compassion that has been so incredible over the last few weeks," added Lopez.

A free feed of the show will be offered to broadcasters globally, with MTV aiming to beam the benefit directly into the homes of three-quarters of the world's TV viewers--or more than 1 billion people.

"The response so far has been overwhelming, and the event will bring together diverse artists from across the globe to offer hope and inspiration," said Bill Roedy, president of MTV Networks International. "This will be a global event."

CNN International has also pledged to create nine vignettes exploring the human side of the tragedy, including video montages of the afflicted areas and first-hand accounts from survivors.

A majority of the money raised during the event will go to UNICEF (news - web sites), with the balance being funneled to local charities in Thailand, India, and other hard-hit areas.

MTV will also air its own news special, MTV News Presents: After the Tsunami, exploring the aftermath of the earthquake-triggered tsunamis that devastated a dozen countries in Asia and Africa on Dec. 26. More than 226,000 people were killed.

The benefit is the last effort by the entertainment industry to lend a hand.

On Saturday, NBC Universal organized a telethon featuring Hollywood A-listers such as George Clooney (news), Brad Pitt, Drew Barrymore (news) and Ben Affleck (news), as well as performances by Sheryl Crow (news) and Tim McGraw. The event recalled the massive America: Tribute to Heroes benefit in the wake of 9-11.

However, unlike the latter, which was watched by some 89 million U.S. viewers and raised $150 million, the two-hour Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope only drew 5.7 million by comparison--possibly due to audience fatigue from around-the-clock cable news coverage.

No word yet exactly how much money was raised during the telethon. NBC is expected to make an announcement on Friday.