The Highest Grossing Movie Actor Of All Time Samuel L. Jackson Set To Host The "BET AWARDS 12"

Kanye West Leads the Pack with 7 Nominations, Beyonce Close Behind with 6 Nominations and Jay-Z Rounds Things Out with 5 Nominations Maze featuring Frankie Beverly To Be Honored with the 'Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award' and Confirmed As the First Performers For This Year's Award Show LIVE from the Historic Shrine Auditorium in Angeles on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 8:00 pm* on BET

NEW YORK, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This year the BET AWARDS 12 (#BETAWARDS) will be 'Too Big To Miss.' Earlier today at a press conference held in BET's New York studios, it was announced that actor Samuel L. Jackson, declared the highest grossing movie actor of all time according to the Guinness Book of World Records, will be this year's BET AWARDS host. In addition, the members of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly were announced to be the prestigious recipients of the 'Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award;' and Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj were revealed as the first confirmed performers.

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Respectfully labeled as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson is an undisputed star as demonstrated in the fact that his have grossed the most money in box office sales than any other actor in the history of filmmaking. Currently, the Oscar-nominated actor is on screen in "The Avengers," which is part of his 9-picture deal with Marvel Studios. The highly anticipated opened on May 4, 2012 to a record shattering $200 million opening weekend.

"We are massively excited about having Sam Jackson, the world's biggest box office star, host The BET Awards 12," said Stephen G. Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials, BET Networks. "His wit, presence and gigantic personality are the perfect match for our show."

On hand from BET's NYC studios to announce the nominees for the BET AWARDS 12 were Mindless Behavior, , , DJ Khaled, Astro, A$AP Rocky and Diggy, along with the Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

The BET AWARDS is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The BET AWARDS franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers and athletes in 20 categories. Leading the pack of A-list talent this year is with an impressive 7 Nominations: Best Collaboration, Video Director of the Year, and 5 notable nominations for 'The Throne' with Jay-Z. 'The Throne' received nominations for Best Group, Best Collaboration ft. Otis Redding, Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice and 2 nods for Video of the Year for "N*ggas in Paris" and "Otis." Close behind is Beyonce with 6 Nominations: Best Female R&B Artist, Best Collaboration, Video Director of the Year, Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice and 2 nods for Video of the Year for "Countdown" and "Love on Top."

"We have many more acts to come," added Hill, "but we're proud to have the dynamic Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj as our first- announced performers. The Shrine Auditorium will be shaking for the R&B stalwarts Maze featuring Frankie Beverly as they receive the Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award. We're just getting started and already the show is living up to its slogan: it's too big to miss."

The nominees for the BET AWARDS 12 include:

Best Female R&B Artist Beyonce Mary J. Blige Melanie Fiona

Best Male R&B Artist Chris Brown Miguel Best Group Bad Meets Evil Diddy-Dirty Money Maybach Music Group Mindless Behavior The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)

Best Collaboration Beyonce f/ J. Cole — "Party" Big Sean f/ Kanye West & — "Marvin & Chardonnay" DJ Khaled f/ , & — "I'm On One" Drake f/ Lil Wayne & — "The Motto" The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding — "Otis" f/ Miguel — "Lotus Flower Bomb"

Best Male Hip Hop Artist Big Sean Drake J. Cole Lil Wayne Rick Ross Young Jeezy

Best Female Hip Hop Artist Diamond Nicki Minaj Brianna Perry

Video of the Year Beyonce — "Countdown" Beyonce — "Love On Top" The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) — "N***as in Paris" The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding — "Otis" Usher — "Climax"

Video Director of the Year Beyonce & Chris Brown & Godfrey Tabarez Kanye West

Best New Artist A$AP Rocky Big Sean Diggy Future

Best Gospel Yolanda Adams Kim Burrell James Fortune & FIYA Fred Hammond Trin-I-Tee 5:7

Best Actress Angela Bassett Viola Davis Taraji P. Henson Regina King Zoe Saldana Best Actor Idris Elba

YoungStars Award Astro Diggy Jacob Latimore Keke Palmer Willow Smith

Best Movie Good Deeds Jumping The Broom Laugh At My Pain Red Tails The Help

Subway Sportswoman of the Year Skylar Diggins Brittney Griner Candace Parker Serena Williams Venus Williams

Subway Sportsman of the Year Carmelo Anthony Kobe Bryant Victor Cruz Kevin Durant LeBron James

Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice Award Beyonce — "Love On Top" Chris Brown — "Turn Up the Music" Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga — "The Motto" Mindless Behavior — "Hello" The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding — "Otis" Wale f/ Miguel — "Lotus Flower Bomb"

Centric Award Common Tyrese

Best International Act: Africa () Ice () Lira (South Africa) Mokobe (Mali) () (Nigeria)

Best International Act: UK Estelle Labrinth Emeli Sande Sway Wretch 32 www.BET.com/BETAwards is the official site for the BET AWARDS 12 where fans can visit to vote for the Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice Award, get up-to-date info on this year's show and take a look back on past BET AWARDS. In the coming weeks, BET.com will launch a series of interactive games to make the BET AWARD's digital experience the biggest it's ever been.

● "Too Big To Pick" let's fans predict who they think will win the coveted BET AWARD and compare their picks with their friends. ● "The Line-Up" is a fantasy sports styled game that allows viewers to make predictions on the order performers will appear in the show and compare this line-up with their followers, Facebook friends, and their favorite celebrities.

In June, BET Mobile will also be launching the official BET AWARDS app on iPhone and Android devices with exclusive photo, video and interactive content.

Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET's multiple social media platforms:

● On Twitter by using : #BETAWARDS, #2BIG2MISS; and following us @BETAWARDS. ● On Facebook by liking the fan page at facebook.com/TheBETAwards ● On Google plus at .us/gplusBET

The BET AWARDS 12 will premiere Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 8:00PM BST across BET's international platforms in the UK and Africa.

Stephen G. Hill, BET's President of Music Programming and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET's Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the BET AWARDS 12, along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins .

Official sponsors of The BET AWARDS 12 include Cadillac®, Coca-Cola®, Ford®, State Farm® and Subway®.

About Samuel L. Jackson

Respectfully labeled as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Jackson is an undisputed star as demonstrated in the fact that his films have grossed the most money in box office sales than any other actor in the history of filmmaking. Jackson made an indelible mark on American cinema with his portrayal of 'Jules', the philosophizing hitman, in 's "Pulp Fiction." In addition to unanimous critical acclaim for his performance, he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as Best Supporting Actor as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Jackson recently made his Broadway debut at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater in Katori Hall's The Mountaintop, co-starring Angela Bassett and directed by Kenny Leon. The Mountaintop is set on the eve of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom Jackson portrays. The play ended its run on January 22, 2012. Jackson is currently in production on Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained." Jackson plays the role of 'Stephen,' alongside as 'Dr. King Schultz,' as 'Django' and Leonardo DiCaprio as 'Calvin Candie.' "Django Unchained" is set in the Deep South during the 1850s and tells the story of a slave-turned-bounty hunter setting out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. Jackson is currently on screen in "The Avengers," which is part of his 9-picture deal with Marvel Studios. The highly anticipated film opened on May 4, 2012 to a record shattering $200 million opening weekend. Recently, Jackson was seen in HBO's "The Sunset Limited," an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's play. co-starred and directed the telefilm. On television, in addition to "The Sunset Limited," Jackson starred in John Frankenheimer's Emmy Award-winning "Against the Wall" for HBO. His performance earned him a Cable Ace nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.

About Jesse Collins Entertainment

Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service film and television production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. Over the past decade, Collins, the company's CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television's most memorable moments in the music entertainment arena. Formerly Executive Producer/Executive Vice President of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced award winning television programming including the Grammy Awards, the BET AWARDS, BET Honors and BET's Rip the Runway and has worked with superstar talent such as , Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Kid Rock, Lil Wayne and many more.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the , Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub- Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET operates in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

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