Queen Latifah Hosts The 2010 BET Awards; Jay-Z, Beyonce Lead Noms.

BET Networks, a unit of Viacom ( VIA, VIA.B), today announced that entertainment superstar Queen Latifah has been tapped to host the tenth anniversary of the mega-hit, #1 rated awards show among African American viewers, the BET AWARDS. This much-anticipated special will broadcast LIVE from the historic Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 8:00 P.M.* on BET and via live stream on BET.com.

Continuing a tradition of honoring and showcasing the industry's hottest stars in music, sports and entertainment, BET AWARDS '10 is poised for another chart-topping night of never-before seen moments. Performances by Diddy-Dirty Money, Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj, Drake and more to light the stage. R&B superstar Trey Songz is featured in his very own reality series -- TREY SONGZ: MY MOMENT IN TIME -- premiering on BET Tuesday, June 29th at 10 P.M.* (with a sneak peek airing after the BET AWARDS on June 27th).

One-woman entertainment conglomerate Queen Latifah is sure to reign supreme as host of this year's BET AWARDS '10. Blessed with style and substance, Queen Latifah is a Grammy(R) Award-winning musician, television and film actress, label president, author and entrepreneur. On January 4, 2006, she became the first hip hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has received rave reviews, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal as Mama Morton in Miramax's "Chicago" as well as a Golden Globe and SAG Award win for her heart wrenching role in "Life Support."

BET AWARDS '10 will recognize the achievements of artists, entertainers and athletes in 19 categories. Front-runner Jay-Z gets 5 individual nominations across multiple categories: Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year (for which he holds two nominations) and Viewer's Choice. Closely behind are Beyonce (Best Female R&B Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year, Viewer's Choice), Alicia Keys (Best Female R&B Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year, Viewer's Choice), Trey Songz (Best Male R&B Artist, Best Collaboration ? 2, Viewer's Choice) and Melanie Fiona (Best Female R&B Artist, Best New Artist, Video of the Year, Centric Award) with 4 each.

Drake locks 3 individual nominations with an additional 3 for Young Money; similarly, Nicki Minaj has 2 individual nods as well as 3 for Young Money. Other multiple nominees include Rihanna, Fabolous, B.O.B., Maxwell and Monica. Teen heart throb Justin Bieber secures nomination for Best New Artist, Disney? actress Selena Gomez for the YoungStars Award and "Avatar" star Zoe Saldana for Best Actress.

The nominees are:

Best Female R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige
Melanie Fiona
Alicia Keys
Rihanna

Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Raheem DeVaughn
Maxwell
Trey Songz
Usher

Best Gospel
The Anointed Pace Sisters
Kirk Franklin Presents Artists United For Haiti
Tamela Mann
Marvin Sapp
Vickie Winans

Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Ester Dean
Lil Kim
Nicki Minaj
Rasheeda
Trina

Best Male Hip Hop Artist
B.o.B.
Drake
Fabolous
Jay-Z
Ludacris

Best Group
Black Eyed Peas
Clipse
Diddy-Dirty Money
New Boyz
Young Money

Best New Artist
Justin Bieber
Melanie Fiona
Nicki Minaj
Wale
Young Money

Best Collaboration
Beyoncé f/ Lady Gaga - Video Phone
B.o.B. f/ Bruno Mars - Nothin' On You
Drake & Trey Songz - Successful
Drake f/ Lil Wayne, Kanye West & Eminem - Forever
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Trey Songz f/ Fabolous - Say Aah

Video of the Year
Beyoncé f/ Lady Gaga - Video Phone
B.o.B. f/ Bruno Mars - Nothin' On You
Melanie Fiona - It Kills Me
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West - Run This Town

Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Gil Green
Anthony Mandler
Chris Robinson
Hype Williams

Best Actress
Taraji P. Henson
Regina King
Mo'Nique
Zoe Saldana
Gabourey Sidibe

Best Actor
Quinton Aaron
Don Cheadle
Idris Elba
Jamie Foxx
Denzel Washington

YoungStars Award
Selena Gomez
Lil JJ
Keke Palmer
Willow Smith
Tyler James Williams

Best Movie
Avatar
Law Abiding Citizen
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire
The Blindside

Subway Sportswoman of the Year
Tamika Catchings
Vanessa James
Candace Parker
Serena Williams
Venus Williams