Kanye West Leads BET Awards Nominations, With an Assist From Jay-Z

Rapper has seven nods to his name heading into the 2012 BET Awards, almost all shared with Beyoncé's hubby; Samuel L. Jackson will host live show on July 1

By Natalie Finn May 22, 2012 9:48 PMTags
Kanye WestJamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Lest we forget, Kanye West still makes music.

Reminding us of what made Kim Kardashian's main man a star worth scrutinizing, West leads the field heading into the 2012 BET Awards with seven nominations.

But, as is the case with his personal life these days, he made the most impact as part of a duo.

Six of his seven nominations come for his collaborations with Jay-Z (aka The Throne) and Big Sean, plus he scored one for Video Director of the Year.

Beyoncé is a close second, heading into the kudosfest with six nominations, including Best Female R&B Artist and two shots at Video of the Year, for "Love on Top" and "Countdown."

Her hubby and partner in parenting, Jay-Z, is right there with five nominations—all of them Kanye collabs.

The ever-controversial Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj have already been confirmed to perform. Samuel L. Jackson is slated to host the show, live from L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium, on July 1.

Here's the complete list of nominees for the 2012 BET Awards:

Best Female R&B Artist

• Marsha Ambrosius
• Beyoncé
• Mary J. Blige
• Melanie Fiona
• Rihanna

Best Male R&B Artist

• Chris Brown
• Bruno Mars
• Miguel
• Trey Songz
• Usher

Best Group

• Bad Meets Evil
• Diddy-Dirty Money
• Maybach Music Group
• Mindless Behavior
• The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)

Best Collaboration

• Beyoncé featuring J. Cole, "Party"
• Big Sean featuring Kanye West & Roscoe Dash, "Marvin & Chardonnay"
• DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne, "I'm On One"
• Drake featuring Lil Wayne & Tyga, "The Motto"
• The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) featuring Otis Redding, "Otis"
• Wale featuring Miguel, "Lotus Flower Bomb"

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

• Big Sean
• Drake
• J. Cole
• Lil Wayne
• Rick Ross
• Young Jeezy

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

• Diamond
• Nicki Minaj
• Brianna Perry
• Trina

Video of the Year

• Beyoncé, "Countdown"
• Beyoncé, "Love On Top"
• The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West), "N---as in Paris"
• The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) featuring Otis Redding, "Otis"
• Usher, "Climax"

Video Director of the Year

• Beyoncé & Alan Ferguson
• Benny Boom
• Chris Brown & Godfrey Tabarez
• Kanye West
• Hype Williams

Best New Artist

• A$AP Rocky
• Big Sean
• Diggy
• Future
• Meek Mill

Best Gospel

• Yolanda Adams
• Kim Burrell
• James Fortune & FIYA
• Fred Hammond
• Trin-I-Tee 5:7

Best Actress

• Angela Bassett
• Viola Davis
• Taraji P. Henson
• Regina King
• Zoe Saldana

Best Actor

• Don Cheadle
• Common
• Idris Elba
• Kevin Hart
• Denzel Washington

Young Stars Award

• Astro
• Diggy
• Jacob Latimore
• Keke Palmer
• Willow Smith

Best Movie

• Good Deeds
• Jumping the Broom
• Laugh at My Pain
• Red Tails
• The Help

Subway Sportswoman of the Year

• Skylar Diggins
• Brittney Griner
• Candace Parker
• Serena Williams
• Venus Williams

Subway Sportsman of the Year

• Carmelo Anthony
• Kobe Bryant
• Victor Cruz
• Kevin Durant
• LeBron James

Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award

• Beyoncé, "Love on Top"
• Chris Brown, "Turn Up the Music"
• Drake featuring Lil Wayne & Tyga, "The Motto"
• Mindless Behavior,  "Hello"
• The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) featuring Otis Redding, "Otis"
• Wale featuring Miguel, "Lotus Flower Bomb"

Centric Award

• Common
• Estelle
• Robert Glasper
• Robin Thicke
• Tyrese

Best International Act: Africa

• Camp Mulla (Kenya)
• Ice Prince (Nigeria)
• Lira (South Africa)
• Mokobe (Mali)
• Sarkodie (Ghana)
• Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best International Act: U.K.

• Estelle
• Labrinth
• Emeli Sandé
• Sway
• Wretch 32