Beyonce, T.I. Lead BET Awards Nominations

Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Keri Hilson also garner multiple nods and Ne-Yo and Maxwell are scheduled to perform at the show, airing June 28.
By Gil Kaufman

Beyoncé

Photo: James Devaney/ WireImage

Beyoncé and T.I. top the list of nominees for this year’s BET Awards, slated to take place on June 28. Both artists snagged five nominations, with Beyoncé earning her handful with nods in Best Female R&B artist, two Best Video bids for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and “If I Were a Boy,” Best Female Actress for her lead roles in “Obsessed” and “Cadillac Records” and the Viewers’ Choice award.

Though he won’t make the ceremony because he is slated to begin a 366-day prison sentence next week on weapons charges, T.I. equaled Beyoncé, with Video of the Year and Best Collaboration nominations for “Live Your Life,” a Best Collaboration nod for “Ain’t I” with Yung Dro and Young LA, along with Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Viewers’ Choice noms.

Among the other multiple-nominees are Keri Hilson, Lil Wayne and T-Pain, with four nods each. Hilson earned the most nominations for a new artist, racking up Best Female R&B Artist (which also includes Keyshia Cole, Jennifer Hudson and Jazmine Sullivan), Best Collaboration and Viewers’ Choice along with Best New Artist, where she’ll go up against Sullivan, M.I.A., Ryan Leslie and Kid Cudi.

The show will be hosted by Jamie Foxx, who is up for several awards, including Best Male R&B artist, where he’ll face The-Dream, Leslie, Ne-Yo and T-Pain; Best Collaboration for his hit “Blame It” with Pain, where he’s up against Hilson, Jim Jones, T.I. and Yung L.A.; and Video of the Year, which also features competition from Kanye West (”Heartless”).

The Best Female Hip-Hop Artist race pits Lil Mama against M.I.A. and Trina, while the male category will be a showdown between Wayne, Rick Ross, Tip, Kanye and Young Jeezy.

The show is currently slated to feature performances from Ne-Yo and Maxwell.

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Related Artists

• Beyoncé
• T.I.