BET Announces 2017 "BET Awards" Nominations

BET Networks Announces Official Nominees for the 2017 “BET Awards”

Beyoncé Tops with Seven Nominations While Bruno Mars Takes Five, Followed by Chance the Rapper, Solange and Migos with Four a Piece

“BET Awards” to Air Live on Sunday, June 25 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at 8 P.M. ET

@BETAWARDS #BETAWARDS

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA)(NASDAQ:VIA.B), today announced the nominations for the 2017 "BET Awards" taking place at Microsoft Theater on Sunday, June 25, 2017. This year’s broadcast marks 17 years of unexpected performances, trailblazing moments, super dope talent, and entertainment’s most provocative players. The iconic show continues to be a cultural rule breaker steeped in reinvention with some of the most memorable moments in Award show history.

In 2016, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar surprised guests with a groundbreaking performance of “Freedom,” Sheila E. and Mayte Garcia performed during the Prince Lifetime Achievement Award tribute and Jesse Williams brought the audience to their feet with his dynamic and ever-viral Humanitarian Award acceptance speech. The “BET Awards” has set the standard for one of the most intently unconventional, news-provoking broadcasts.

Beyoncé dominates this year’s nominations with a total of seven including ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist,’ ‘Best Collaboration’ with Kendrick Lamar for “Freedom,” ‘Video of the Year,’ and ‘Album of the Year’ for Lemonade. Bruno Mars follows with five nods including ‘Album of the Year,’ ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist,’ and ‘Video of the Year’ for “24K Magic.” Other nominees include Solange, nominated for four awards and who is up against sister Beyoncé for ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist.’ Chance the Rapper and Migos receive four nominations as well, Chance the Rapper nominated for ‘Best Male Hip-Hop Artist’ and ‘Best New Artist’ and Migos for ‘Best Group’ and ‘Best Collaboration’ for their #1 hit “Bad and Boujee” with Lil Uzi Vert.

BET Networks recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across over 19 categories with the 2017 "BET Awards" nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.

The complete list of nominees for the 2017 "BET Awards" are:

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
BEYONCÉ
KEHLANI
MARY J. BLIGE
RIHANNA
SOLANGE

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BRUNO MARS
CHRIS BROWN
THE WEEKND
TREY SONGZ
USHER

Best Group
2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
FAT JOE & REMY MA
MIGOS
RAE SREMMURD

Best Collaboration
BEYONCÉ FT. KENDRICK LAMAR - FREEDOM
CHANCE THE RAPPER FT. 2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE - NO PROBLEM
CHRIS BROWN FT. GUCCI MANE & USHER - PARTY
DJ KHALED FT. BEYONCÉ & JAY Z - SHINING
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT - BAD AND BOUJEE
RAE SREMMURD FT. GUCCI MANE - BLACK BEATLES

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
BIG SEAN
CHANCE THE RAPPER
DRAKE
FUTURE
J. COLE
KENDRICK LAMAR

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
CARDI B
MISSY ELLIOTT
NICKI MINAJ
REMY MA
YOUNG M.A.

Video of the Year
BEYONCÉ - SORRY
BIG SEAN - BOUNCE BACK
BRUNO MARS - 24K MAGIC
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT - BAD AND BOUJEE
SOLANGE - CRANES IN THE SKY

Video Director of the Year
BENNY BOOM – KEHLANI “CRZY”
BRUNO MARS & JONATHAN LIA – BRUNO MARS “THAT’S WHAT I LIKE”
DIRECTOR X – ZAYN MALIK “LIKE I WOULD”
HYPE WILLIAMS – TYGA “GUCCI SNAKES FT. DESIIGNER”
KAHLIL JOSEPH & BEYONCÉ KNOWLES-CARTER – BEYONCÉ “SORRY”

Best New Artist
21 SAVAGE
CARDI B
CHANCE THE RAPPER
KHALID
YOUNG M.A.

Album of the Year
24K MAGIC - BRUNO MARS
4 YOUR EYEZ ONLY - J. COLE
A SEAT AT THE TABLE - SOLANGE
COLORING BOOK - CHANCE THE RAPPER
LEMONADE - BEYONCÉ

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
CECE WINANS – NEVER HAVE TO BE ALONE
FANTASIA FT. TYE TRIBBETT – I MADE IT
KIRK FRANKLIN FT. SARAH REEVES, TASHA COBBS & TAMELA MANN – MY WORLD NEEDS YOU
LECRAE – CAN’T STOP ME NOW (DESTINATION)
TAMELA MANN – GOD PROVIDES

Best Actress
GABRIELLE UNION
ISSA RAE
JANELLE MONÁE
TARAJI P. HENSON
VIOLA DAVIS

Best Actor
BRYSHERE Y. GRAY
DENZEL WASHINGTON
DONALD GLOVER
MAHERSHALA ALI
OMARI HARDWICK

YoungStars Award
ACE HUNTER
CALEB MCLAUGHLIN
JADEN SMITH
MARSAI MARTIN
YARA SHAHIDI

Best Movie
FENCES
GET OUT
HIDDEN FIGURES
MOONLIGHT
THE BIRTH OF A NATION

Sportswoman of the Year Award
GABBY DOUGLAS
SERENA WILLIAMS
SIMONE BILES
SKYLAR DIGGINS
VENUS WILLIAMS

Sportsman of the Year Award
CAM NEWTON
LEBRON JAMES
ODELL BECKHAM JR.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
STEPHEN CURRY

Centric Award
FANTASIA - SLEEPING WITH THE ONE I LOVE
KEHLANI - DISTRACTION
MARY J. BLIGE - THICK OF IT
SOLANGE - CRANES IN THE SKY
SYD - ALL ABOUT ME
YUNA - CRUSH FT. USHER

Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award
BEYONCÉ - SORRY
BRUNO MARS - 24K MAGIC
DRAKE - FAKE LOVE
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT - BAD AND BOUJEE
RAE SREMMURD FT. GUCCI MANE - BLACK BEATLES
THE WEEKND FT. DAFT PUNK – STARBOY

Best International Act: Europe
BOOBA (France)
MHD (France)
CRAIG DAVID (UK)
EMELI SANDÉ (UK)
GIGGS (UK)
SKEPTA (UK)
STORMZY (UK)
WILEY (UK)

Best International Act: Africa
AKA (South Africa)
BABES WODUMO (South Africa)
DAVIDO (Nigeria)
NASTY C (South Africa)
STONEBWOY (Ghana)
TEKNO (Nigeria)
WIZKID (Nigeria)
MR EAZI (Nigeria)

The 2017 “BET Awards” will premiere around the world on BET’s international networks. It will air in the UK on Tuesday, June 27th at 9:00pm BST, in Africa on Tuesday, June 27th at 8:00pm CAT, and in France on Wednesday, June 28th at 9:00pm CEST. Fan voting for the "Best International Act: Europe" and "Best International Act: Africa" categories opens today and will close on May 26. Internationally, fans in 100 countries can also stream the 2017 “BET Awards” live with BET Play, BET International’s subscription video on demand application. The iOS and Android app, which also features current and classic BET television series, documentaries, standup comedy and legendary musical performances, will carry a live feed of the red carpet and the Awards, and is available for download now in the iTunes and Google Play stores for $3.99 a month following a seven-day free trial.

The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 22-25, 2017. BET.com/betawards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. VIP Packages for the 5th year of the BET Experience weekend are better than ever and now on-sale. In addition to VIP amenities throughout the weekend and incredible seats for STAPLES Center shows, three levels of BETX VIP Packages offer guests the only opportunity to purchase tickets to the highly-anticipated BET Awards, broadcast live from Microsoft Theater. Last year the in-demand VIP Packages sold out, so guests are encouraged to purchase now before the allotment is depleted. Full package amenities and pricing for the Diamond, Platinum and Gold VIP Packages can be found by visiting BETExperience.com or by calling (877) 234-8425.

General tickets for the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® are on sale now at http://www.axs.com/betexperience.

Download the BETX '17 app powered by AT&T, the #1 source for everything BETX, including real-time event updates, full schedules, BET Fan Fest wristbands, daily prizes, ticket giveaways, live streams and much more.

Follow the BET Experience on Twitter @betexperience for the latest and greatest and join the hottest conversation by using #BETX. Feel free to also check us out online at http://www.betexperience.com.


ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA)(NASDAQ:VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company and developer/operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 22 - 25, 2017 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day festival will be filled with music concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at Microsoft Theater.

ABOUT AEG
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. With offices on five continents, AEG operates in the following business segments: AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with more than 120 preeminent arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs and convention centers around the world including The O2 Arena, the Sprint Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas; AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals; AEG Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE; AEG Sports, which is the world's largest operator of sports franchises and high-profile sporting events; and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran and multi-Image Award® winner Jesse Collins. Collins has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Most recently Collins was the executive producer of the critically-acclaimed film, The New Edition Story, a biopic on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series on BET in January 2017 and posted record ratings for the network and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. Collins has also produced award-winning programming including the BET Awards, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, ABFF Honors, Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards, is a consulting producer for the iconic GRAMMY Awards and executive producer of BET’s hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and VH1 shows Dear Mama and Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube. Will Smith, Beyoncé, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey are a few of the myriad of superstar talent that Collins has worked with through the years. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.

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