Police in Pasadena, Calif., ordered an early end to The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards 2000 on Tuesday night (8/19) after violence erupted in the audience at the Pasadena Civic Center. Despite the abbreviated ceremony, UPN plans to broadcast the awards show special as scheduled on Aug. 29.

The incident took place about two-and-a-half hours after the doors opened for the event. At the time, the show had been underway for about an hour.

"At approximately 8 p.m., a large fight broke out in the audience," the Pasadena Police Department said in a recorded statement. "As a result of the fight, scores of people poured out of their seats, some toward the exits of the auditorium, while up to 75 others took to the stage. As uniformed police personnel attempted to quell several fights occurring simultaneously, unknown members of the audience began throwing objects such as bottles and CD covers onto the stage.

"For the safety of the audience, and with no apparent hope of continuing the show peacefully, the Pasadena Police Department announced the show would not continue and asked the audience to leave quietly."

Police added that it took about two hours to clear the area and that the majority of the audience was very cooperative and left the building without incident. Police reported no arrests or serious injuries.

According to several published reports, the fights broke out during Lil’ Kim’s performance, which began after Dr. Dre accepted a lifetime achievement award.

"It is regrettable that the actions of a few individuals disrupted an evening which seeks to celebrate the music and unity of the hip-hop community," David Mays, founder and publisher of The Source, said in a statement. "The Source does not condone violence of any kind and over the years has worked hard to dispel negative images associated with hip-hop.''

By Wednesday afternoon (8/23), the Source and UPN had issued a press release saying that several remote performances and awards segments would be taped to fill out the UPN broadcast, and that the program would air as scheduled. It wasn't immediately clear if footage of the scuffle would be aired during the broadcast, however.

Last year's Source Awards delivered the ratings-starved UPN network its highest number of viewers ever on a Friday night; the show ranked No. 1 in the New York and Miami markets and was No. 1 among total teens and No. 2 among adults 18-34 and women 18-34 in its timeslot.

Five or six awards had been presented before police cleared the building. A press release that was prepared prior to the ceremony said that Dr. Dre won five awards while Eminem picked up two.

Scheduled performers included Cash Money Millionaires; Jay-Z with Memphis, Bleek and Amil; Lil' Kim and Mobb Deep; Method Man and Redman; Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Nate Dogg; Dead Prez; Tha Eastsidaz; Lil' Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri; Made Men; Mos Def; and D.J. Clue.

A complete list of Source Hip-Hop Award winners for 2000, which were announced by event organizers in a press release produced before the show, follows: