BET Awards 2012 Nominations Announced

The nominees for the BET Awards 2012  have been unveiled and as always, there are not very many surprises. Award shows like these rarely deviate from the norm, and so what is revealed is a recycled list of names with sprinkles of new upcoming talents.

Last year BET expanded their circuit to accommodate a new category to recognize emerging talents from Africa – Best International Act: Africa. It’s interesting that it took this long for the network to acknowledge a continent that is clearly known for its immense contribution to the genre on a global scale. But the present climate that seems to be hailing “All things Africa” must have been the incentive. Nevertheless it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Box office superstar Samuel L. Jackson will be on hand to help navigate the festivities which will take place on July 1^st at Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium.

Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown are slated to perform and hopefully top nominees Kanye West and Jay-Z will use the occasion as the perfect excuse for a double date!

Either way the night will have enough thrills to keep the audience awake, at least through most of the show!

For a complete listing of nominees, click here