: NEW YORK - (AP) T-Pain's status as urban music's most frequent collaborator helped him nab a leading five BET Award nominations.
Kanye West and Keyshia Cole received three nominations, while Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and newcomer Flo Rida received a pair each, BET told The Associated Press in advance of the announcement later Thursday.
While T-Pain has his own hits, including the chart-topper "Buy U a Drank," the singer and his electronically manipulated voice are often found on other people's songs. He received nominations for best collaboration for his work with Chris Brown ("Kiss Kiss"), West ("Good Life") and Flo Rida ("Low"), while he was also nominated twice in the video of the year category.
"T-Pain is everywhere," BET Executive Vice President Stephen Hill told The Associated Press. "He's got five nominations, none of them for his own work."
"He's had a great year; he's introduced a new element," Hill said, referring to T-Pain's vocoder-assisted vocals that have been replicated by other artists such as Snoop Dogg.
While the nominees include many hitmakers, Hill said the awards also celebrate those who aren't yet in the mainstream, such as R&B singers Estelle and Raheeem DeVaughn, who each received a nomination.
"Our voting panel picked not just the hits but folks who are really talented who are just now getting a shot," he said.
The BET Awards will be presented June 24 in Los Angeles.
Al Green will be honored with a lifetime achievement award. Quincy Jones will receive an award for his humanitarian work.
"Besides being the best black awards show that we have, also being one of the best awards show period, their ratings are through the roof," said Nelly, who is set to perform at the live awards show. "They're tuning in — black, white, Japanese, Chinese — you got it, they're tuning in, which says a lot."
Nelly and Usher were among those expected to announce the nominations on BET's "106 & Park" later Thursday. Usher is also set to perform on the live June broadcast, as well as Lil Wayne, Blige and Mariah Carey.
WOW didn't know T-Pain had so many haters!!!! You can not deny the fact that the dude is everywhere. Just about everysong that hits the charts is featuring Pain. You have artist that have been in the industry for a while taking notes. Also, the time that he has been out he has worked with just about everyone from being featured on their songs to ghost writing, yes Pain does ghost write. Give that man his props and stop hatin!
The BET Awards SUCK ***! They are so clean cut and boring and everything goes as planned! While the VMA's are LIVE AND EXCITING - ALWAYS! And T-Pain can actually sing live without the vocoder! So if you haven't heard him live FALL BACK HATERS and his talking voice is the same too, I know because I talked to him before his concert. He has a very nice voice.
@ HauteCoutureDiva, Chris Brown along with Rasheem DaVaungh, J. Holiday, Trey Songz, and Ne-Yo are all nominated for the category of "Best Male R&B Artist". Mary J. Blige was on 106 & Park yesterday announcing the nominations along with some other artists and she announced the nominations for "Best Male R&B Arstist" and those five I mentioned made the category. And I was upset to not see Booker T's picture on that graphic concerning "Best Athlete" yesterday on 106 & Park.
Real black people do not even watch BET. This is the worst award show I have ever seen, the sound is always horrible and the performances wack. As black people we should be ashmed of the channel. That only helps to the stero-type all blacks got is sports and entertainment. There is not intelligent show on the station. So its not suprising that they would be calling Raheem DaVaughn a new comer, when this is his second album. This is why the young people are so confused.
