The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 -- Style. Substance. Swagger.

.I. LEADS THE PACK WITH 9 NODS AS BET HIP HOP AWARDS RETURNS FOR A NIGHT OF HIP-HOP HOTNESS ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17 AT 8 P.M., ET/PT Katt Williams Returns As Host Nelly, Lil' Wayne, Kanye West and Common, Among Others, Scheduled To Perform KRS-One Will Receive The 'I Am Hip Hop' Icon Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 14 -- BET Networks today announced the nominees for the annual BET Hip Hop Awards 2007, paying homage to urban music artists at the top of their game. If you thought last year's show was unbeatable, then hold on to your seats because BET is back in "hotlanta" with veteran host actor/comedian Katt Williams, who is sure to deliver a high energy show filled with hot performances by the best in the business! The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 will take place on Saturday, October 13 at Atlanta's Civic Center, and premiere on the network Wednesday, October 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Nelly, Lil' Wayne, Kanye West and Common are scheduled to perform. Additional presenters and performers to be announced shortly.

ATL native T.I. leads all Hip Hop Awards nominees with nine nods. T.I. is up for possible honors in the Best Collabo, Best Live Performance, Lyricist of the Year, MVP, Track of the Year, CD of the Year, Hustler of the Year, Best Ringbone and Viewer's Choice categories.

"We are so glad to be back in Atlanta once again for this year's version of what, in its debut, became the single hottest show in hip-hop," says Stephen Hill, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Programming, Music and Talent. "We're at a crucial point in the life of this music; its messages and language have been scrutinized more this year than any other time in its history. I hope all hip-hop critics and fans will watch this show that will show all sides of the genre proudly and authentically. Love it. Hate it. The 'BET Hip Hop Awards 2007' will have style, substance and swagger." Other artists with multiple nods include Lil' Wayne with seven, Kanye West with six, Common with five, Jay-Z with four, Ludacris and 50 Cent with three, and Diddy and UGK with two. Also, the legendary hip hop artist KRS-One, known for his political and socially conscious raps, will be honored with the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award.

For the second year in a row, BET also adds an international twist to the Hip Hop Awards by partnering with British music entities MTV Base and 1 Xtra BBC to create a special award around the British urban music scene. Five established hip-hop artists from the United Kingdom will battle for recognition by British hip-hop fans as Best UK Hip-Hop Artist. This category allows BET International to spotlight British hip-hop, and the winner will be announced in the UK on October 1 via radio and MTV BASE News.

Additionally, this year BET viewers and BET Digital users will have an opportunity to enter the BET Hip Hop Awards Hot 16 Challenge, judged by hip- hop mogul Jermaine Dupri. The winners will become VIP's at specified BET Hip Hop Awards events. The contest prizes include: A trip to The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 for the winner and their entourage, a walk down the red carpet, party passes to the SoSoDef/BET Digital Pre-party and tickets to the Hip Hop Awards show. Log onto http://www.bet.com/hot16 for more information.

Elevating the star presence at the Atlanta Civic Center is red-hot host, comedian/actor Katt Williams. Although hosting an awards show - particularly one with this caliber of talent - is no easy gig, Katt says he's up for the challenge. Perhaps best known for his scene-stealing turn as Money Mike in "Friday After Next" and his HBO stand-up comedy special "The Pimp Chronicles, Part 1," Williams will lace the historic event with his edgy, brash and hilarious flavor.

Last year's inaugural The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 drew an impressive 2.93 rating, which translated into 3.64 million viewers (2.44 million households) according to Nielsen Media Research. The show featured massive hip-hop stars Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Chamillionaire, Yung Joc, Keyshia Cole, Remy Ma, Rick Ross and the dirty south's own Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, T.I. and Young Jeezy, among others. Additionally, it honored one of the hip- hop world's pioneering figures, Grand Master Flash, with the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award.

The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 is sponsored by General Motors and Alltel Wireless.

The following is a complete list of The BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 nominees and categories:

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
50 Cent I Get Money
Chamillioinaire f/ Slick Rick Hip Hop Police
Common The People
Ludacris f/ Mary J. Blige Runaway Love
UGK f/ Outkast International Players Anthem
Kanye West Stronger

BEST COLLABO
Birdman & Lil' Wayne Stuntin' Like My Daddy
Diddy f/ Keyshia Cole Last Night
DJ Khaled f/ Akon, T.I., We Takin' Over
Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Lil' Wayne Fabolous f/ Ne-Yo Make Me Better
UGK f/ Outkast International Players Anthem

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE
Common
Lil' Wayne
T.I.
Ludacris
Kanye West

BEST MOVIE
Gridiron Gang
Idlewild
Shottas
Smokin' Aces
Stomp the Yard

BEST DANCE
2 Step
Aunt Jackie
Chicken Noodle Soup
Crank Dat Soulja Boy
Pop, Lock, & Drop It

LYRICIST OF THE YEAR
Common
Lil' Wayne
Jay-Z
T.I.
Kanye West

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Bryan Barber
Benny Boom
F. Gary Gray
Chris Robinson
Hype Williams

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Mannie Fresh
Polow Da Don
Swizz Beatz
Timbaland
Kanye West

MVP
Common
Lil' Wayne
Jay-Z
T.I.
Kanye West

TRACK OF THE YEAR
A Bay Bay (Hurricane Chris) Hurricane Chris (produced by Phunk Dawg)
Big Things Poppin' (Do It) T.I. (produced by Mannie Fresh)
Can't Tell Me Nothing (Kanye West) Kanye West (produced by Kanye West and DJ Toomp)
I Get Money (50 Cent) (produced by Apex)
Party Like A Rockstar (Shop Boyz) Shop Boyz (produced by Pit)

CD OF THE YEAR
Common Finding Forever
Jay-Z Kingdom Come
Ludacris Release Therapy
Nas Hip Hop Is Dead
T.I. T.I. vs. T.I.P.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Hurricane Chris
Lil Boosie
MIMS
Plies
Rich Boy

DJ OF THE YEAR
DJ Drama
DJ Enuff
DJ Irie
DJ Khaled
Tony Neal

HUSTLER OF THE YEAR
50 Cent
Diddy
Lil' Wayne
T.I.
Jay-Z

BEST UK HIP HOP ACT
Dizzie Rascal
JME
Kano
Klashnekoff
Lethal B
Wiley

BEST RINGTONE Crime Mob f/ Lil Scrappy Rock Yo Hips
Hurricane Chris A Bay Bay
MIMS This Is Why I'm Hot
Rich Boy f/ Polow Da Don Throw Some Ds
T.I. Big Things Poppin' (Do It)

THE ALLTEL PEOPLE'S CHAMP (VIEWER'S CHOICE)
Birdman & Lil' Wayne Stuntin' Like My Daddy
DJ Khaled f/ Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, We Takin' Over
Fat Joe and Lil' Wayne Lil Boosie f/ Foxx and Webbie Wipe Me Down
MIMS This Is Why I'm Hot

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET cable network reaches more than 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop - are brands that combine to serve a broader and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one internet destination for the target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music, gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a broad and impactful pro-social agenda. Touch BET; pro-social initiatives that help stop AIDS and obesity and shed light on the legendary contributions African Americans have made to this world includes Rap-It-Up, Speak Now, BET Foundation and A Healthy BET.

SOURCE BET Networks
http://www.bet.com