Jay-Z leads

Standard People
RAPPER Jay-Z leads the nominations for the Black Entertainment TV (BET) awards with five nods, while his wife Beyonce has picked up four.

RAPPER Jay-Z leads the nominations for the Black Entertainment TV (BET) awards with five nods, while his wife Beyonce has picked up four.

There was also recognition for teenage Canadian star Justin Bieber, who is in the running for best new artiste. “Justin Bieber has crossed the colour boundaries in the way hip-hop has the other way for a number of years,” organisers said. Winners will be honoured at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles on June 27. Jay-Z is in the running for best male hip-hop artist and two nods in the best video category. Beyonce is tied with other artistes who have gained four nominations, including Alicia Keys and Melanie Fiona. The Canadian will go head-to-head with compatriot Bieber in the best new artiste category. Stephen Hill, BET’s head of programming, praised the teen singer for the “rhythm in his music”. “He makes the type of music our audience likes,” said Hill, whose network primarily caters for African-American audiences in the US. Bieber shot to fame after his mother posted videos of him performing on YouTube. — BBCOnline.