For the second straight year, Drake leads the race in nominations for the BET Hip-Hop Awards.
With 12 nominations to his name, including Lyricist of the Year and Album of the Year (If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late), the “Back to Back” rapper does it yet again.
Big Sean, whose been on a tear since the release of Dark Sky Paradise, isn’t far behind his “Blessings” collaborator with 10 nominations. Nicki Minaj scored nine nods, while Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole are tied at eight a piece.
A couple other things to note in this year’s nomination listing is the omission of the Best Female Hip Hop category, finding Nicki Minaj (finally) earning a rightful spot in the categories against the males for Lyricist of the Year and MVP of the Year. 2015’s golden boy Future is expected to have a big night as well, seeing as how the Atlanta machine’s mixtape trifecta (Monster, Beast Mode, 56 Nights) make up a bulk of the Best Mixtape category. On the snub side of things however, it looks like Metro Boomin, Southside and Sonny Digital — all names responsible for much of the unbiquitious bangers heard this year – are glaring exclusions in the Producer of the Year category, which should definitely draw some controversy.
Anyhow, the 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards goes down at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on October 13 with Snoop Dogg returning as host. The show will be taped October 9.
For a full list of this year’s nominations, see below:
Best Hip-Hop Video
Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla $ign – “Play No Games”
Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings”
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Nicki Minaj featuring Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself”
Best Collabo, Duo or Group
Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings”
Big Sean featuring E-40 – “Idfwu”
Fetty Wap featuring Monty – “My Way”
Nicki Minaj featuring Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself”
Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter”
Best Live Performer
Drake
J. Cole
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
Lyricist of the Year
Big Sean
Drake
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
Video Director of the Year
Alan Ferguson
Benny Boom
Chris Robinson/Lil Chris
Colin Tilley
Director X
DJ of the Year
DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Esco
DJ Khaled
DJ Mustard
Producer of the Year
DJ Mustard
J. Cole
Kanye West
Mike Will Made-It
Pharrell Williams
Timbaland
MVP of the Year
Big Sean
Drake
Future
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
Track Of The Year
“Alright” – Produced By Pharrell Williams & Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar)
“Blessings” – Produced By Boi-1da & Vinylz (Big Sean FEATURING Drake & Kanye West)
“Commas” – Produced By Dj Spinz & Southside (Future)
“Idfwu” – Produced By Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West & Key Wane (Big Sean FEATURING E-40)
“Trap Queen” – Produced By Tony Fadd (Fetty Wap)
Album Of The Year
Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint
Wale – The Album About Nothing
Who Blew Up Award
Bobby Shmurda
Dej Loaf
Fetty Wap
Rae Sremmurd
Tink
Hustler Of The Year
Dr. Dre
Drake
J. Cole
Jay Z
Nicki Minaj
Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style)
A$AP Rocky
Dej Loaf
Drake
Kanye West
Nicki Minaj
Best Hip Hop Online Site
Allhiphop.Com
Complex.Com
Hotnewhiphop.Com
Rapradar.Com
Worldstarhiphop.Com
Best Club Banger
Big Sean featuring E-40 – “Idfwu” (Produced By Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West & Key Wane)
Dej Loaf – “Try Me” (Produced By Dds)
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” (Produced By Tony Fadd)
Future – “Commas” (Produced By Dj Spinz & Southside)
Rich Homie Quan – “Flex” (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh) (Produced By Dj Spinz & Nitti Beatz)
Best Mixtape
Future – 56 Nights
Future – Beast Mode
Future – Monster
Lil Wayne – Sorry 4 The Wait 2
Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo
Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse
Drake – “Blessings” (Big Sean Featuring Drake & Kanye West)
Drake – “My Way Remix” (Fetty Wap Featuring Drake)
E-40 – “Idfwu” (Big Sean Featuring E-40)
Kendrick Lamar – “Classic Man Remix” (Jidenna featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter” (Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne)
Impact Track
Big Sean featuring Kanye West & John Legend – “One Man Can Change The World”
Common & John Legend – “Glory” (From The Motion Picture “Selma”)
J. Cole – “Apparently”
J. Cole – “Be Free”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
People’s Champ Award
Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings”
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Future – “Commas”
Kendrick Lamar – “i”
Rae Sremmurd – “No Type”
Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”