BET AWARDS 2012

The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually, and they are broadcast live on BET. BET commissioned Artist/Sculptor and Hip Hop culture icon Carlos Mare139 Rodriguez to design the Award sculpture. Global promotion is provided by Mac & Diva Entertainment.

The inaugural ceremonies in 2001 were held at the Paris resort on the Las Vegas Strip. From 2002 to 2005, the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood hosted the ceremonies. From 2006 to 2012, the awards have been held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. BET Networks Executive Vice President of Specials Stephen Hill confirmed that BET Awards will move to the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in 2013.

Executive of Specials Stephen Hill announced that the BET Awards would move to the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live in 2013. BET struck a deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group. BET Networks CEO Debra Lee presented this as a key opportunity for advertisers to expose its brands. BET Networks plans to expand the awards into a three-day destination festival called the "BET Awards Experience" and revealed a freshly inked deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group that will bring the show to the glitzy, $2.5-billion L.A. Live complex for 2013.It's an experiment that could prove a tipping point for the network. Though the show is routinely one of BET's highest rated programs — 2011's attracted 7.7 million viewers — it continues to be eclipsed by competing music specials including the American Music Awards on ABC andMTV's Video Music Awards. That could change if the network gives more camera time to the weekend's events.

"It allows us to take the show to the next level," said Debra Lee, chairman and chief executive of BET. "We are making more opportunities for advertisers and taking it to a level that can get more consumers involved."

The shift also strengthens the network's commitment to music, something that's been questioned in recent years as it has moved to more original programming, much like other Viacom-owned networks MTV and VH1.Moving the show from the Shrine to the more spacious and newer Nokia Theatre — there is roughly a 1,000 seat difference between the two — means the ceremony is now housed at the same venue used by the AMAs and the VMA's.Gabe Sobol, booking and sales manager for the Shrine, said the aging building has sometimes struggled to accommodate the show's growing production needs — a reason Lee said they made the switch from previous home the Dolby Theatre (formerly the Kodak).

"A lot of the infrastructure is from the 1920s(referring to the Shrine), which can make it very difficult. That can become a challenge," he said. "But buildings like this don't really exist anymore. Theaters now tend to be more functional as opposed to aesthetic … but it's what we have going for us. There's hardly another venue that has the look and the history this venue has."

Lee and Hill said the move was also motivated by growing ticket demand and the desire to tap into the amount of people who flock to the city for related events sprinkled all over the city.

The area surrounding the Shrine lacks the robust night life scene of L.A. Live, and Lee said the shift allows the network to play a bigger role in pre and post events.

"We talked to the people at L.A. Live before they opened the Nokia, before the Ritz and the Marriott opened so we've been having ongoing conversations with how to best utilize that space," she said. "There is such a demand for the tickets that the more access we can give our audience the closer they feel to us."

Hill said the plan is to have concerts, seminars and a free expo at the properties in L.A. Live's plaza including Staples Center, Conga Room and Club Nokia — monetizing the event by offering packages to the show, including hotel accommodations.

For BET Award 2012 Singer Chris Brown and Beyonce Knowles successfully won awards for the songs hits in the arena of the conferring of The BET Awards.

Beyonce as the singer was awarded the Best Female R & B, while Chris Brown is a show with his hit song entitled "Turn Up the Music" from album "Fortune" earned a Best Male Artist.

Rapper Jay-Z and Kanye West managed to pocket the title of Best Group with their hit album "Watch The Throne", as reported by reuters.com page.

Kanye West was nominated in seven categories, followed by Beyonce with six nominations, and her husband Jay-Z with five nominations.

Brown was selected as Best Male R & B artist for the second time. Meanwhile, rapper Big Sean took home the award for Best New Artist category. The award for Best Collaboration category obtained by rapper Wale and Miguel for their song "Lotus Flower Bomb".

Nicki Minaj, have won the award for the category of Best Female Hip Hop Artist. Best Actor was won by comedian Kevin Hart.

Performances are held on Sunday July 1 2012, also filled with a variety of performances to commemorate the late Whitney Houston who died last February.