The BET Awards 2012 took place in Los Angeles on Sunday, and big winners included Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and, of course, Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé.
The show kicked off with a Kanye-induced bang as the rapper, decked in all-white, joined 2 Chainz and eventual Best New Artist winner Big Sean to perform their runaway rap hit “Mercy,” which Music Mix can verify has been blaring from 90% of car stereos in Brooklyn all summer. West, who brought Kim Kardashian as his date to the awards, also ran through “Theraflu,” the cut that outed the couple in the first place.
That performance segued to host Samuel L. Jackson coming out with Red Hook Summer director Spike Lee to deliver a parody version of the Jay and Kanye single “N—-s in Paris”; we’ll include the video once it shows up online.
Other performances at the event came from the likes of Usher, Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz, Melanie Fiona, D’angelo(!), Rick Ross and his on-fire Maybach Music Group, and Chris Brown.
The night also featured an extensive Whitney Houston tribute, which brought out a long list of guests to commemorate the late singer, including: Monica, Brandy (who sang “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”), Whitney’s mother Cissy Houston (singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water”), and none other than Chaka Khan, who took us home with “I’m Every Woman.”
As for the awards themselves, some people outside the Jay-’Ye-Bey trinity managed to swipe prizes: Wale and Miguel won for Best Collaboration, Chris Brown took home the Best Male R&B Artist and the AOL Fandemonium awards, and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
BET Awards 2012 – full list of nominees and winners:
BET Awards 2012: Beyoncé
Best Female R&B Artist
Marsha Ambrosius
Beyoncé – WINNER
Mary J Blige
Melanie Fiona
Rihanna
Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown – WINNER
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Trey Songz
Usher
Best Group
Bad Meets Evil
Diddy Dirty Money
Maybach Music Group
Mindless Behaviour
The Throne (Jay-Z and Kanye West) – WINNER
Best Collaboration
Beyoncé f/ J. Cole – ‘Party’
Big Sean f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash
DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
Drake f/ Lil Wayne and Tyga – ‘The Motto’
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding
Wale f/ Miguel – ‘Lotus Flower Bomb’ – WINNER
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
Big Sean
Drake – WINNER
J Cole
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross
Young Jeezy
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Diamond
Nicki Minaj – WINNER
Brianna Perry
Trina
Video of the Year
Beyoncé – ‘Countdown’
Beyoncé – ‘Love On Top’
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) – ‘N****s in Paris’
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West f/ Otis Redding) – ‘Otis’ – WINNER
Usher – ‘Climax’
Video Director of the Year
Beyoncé & Alan Ferguson – WINNER
Benny Boom
Chris Brown & Godfrey Tabarez
Kanye West
Hype Williams
Best New Artist
Nicki Minaj, winner of Best Female Hip Hop Artist
A$AP Rocky
Big Sean – WINNER
Diggy
Future
Meek Mill
Best Gospel
Yolanda Adams – WINNER
Kim Burrell
James Fortune & FIYA
Fred Hammond
Trin-I-Tee 5:7
Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Viola Davis – WINNER
Taraji P Henson
Regina King
Zoe Saldana
Best Actor
Don Cheadle
Common
Idris Elba
Kevin Hart – WINNER
Denzel Washington
YoungStars Award
Astro
Diggy – WINNER
Jacob Latimore
Keke Palmer
Willow Smith
Best Movie
Good Deeds
Jumping The Broom
Laugh At My Pain
Red Tails
The Help – WINNER
Subway Sportswoman of the Year
Skylar Diggins
Candace Parker
Brittney Griner
Serena Williams – WINNER
Venus Williams
Subway Sportsman of the Year
Carmelo Anthony
Kobe Bryant
Victor Cruz
Kevin Durant – WINNER
LeBron James
Coca-Cola Viewers Choice Award
Drake ft. Lil Wayne, Tyga – ‘The Motto’
Beyoncé – ‘Love on Top’
Chris Brown – ‘Turn Up The Music’
Mindless Behaviour – ‘Hello’ – WINNER
The Throne (Jay-Z, Kanye West) ft. Otis Redding – ‘Otis’
Wale ft. Miguel – ‘Lotus Flower Bomb’
Centric Award
Common – WINNER
Estelle
Robert Glasper
Robin Thicke
Tyrese
Best International Act: Africa
Camp Mulla (Kenya)
Ice Prince (Nigeria)
Lira (South Africa)
Mokobe (Mali)
Sarkodie (Ghana) – WINNER
Wizkid (Nigeria) – WINNER
Best International Act: UK
Estelle
Labrinth
Emeli Sandé
Sway
Wretch 32 – WINNER
BET Humanitarian Award
Reverend Al Sharpton
Lifetime Achievement Award
Frankie Beverly featuring Maze
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