Back in Atlanta with a Brand New Host - "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" Hosted by Uncle Snoop Premiering Tuesday, October 15 at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT

"BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" NOMINEES ANNOUNCED ON LAST NIGHT'S "106 & PARK" NOMINATION SPECIAL

KENDRICK LAMAR LEADS WITH 14 NOMINATIONS

NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2013 -- Same great city with an exciting new host - this year's "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" will be hosted by the one and only Snoop Dogg, respectfully known amongst his peers and celebrity friends as "Uncle Snoop"! With more than 20 years in the industry, Snoop has created the blueprint for a long-standing career and has become revered as a mentor to both new and established artists. BET Networks made the announcement last night on "106 & PARK's" annual "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" nomination special. This is the first time Uncle Snoop has hosted the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS."

"I'm excited to be hosting this year's 'BET Hip Hop Awards 2013,' " said Snoop. "We're going to have fun this year and I will make it a show to remember, ya dig?! I'll be giving a ton of surprises, showcasing my exclusive GGN News clips and bringing all my nieces and nephews to the stage for an exciting night of hip-hop."

The multi-platinum artist, actor and entertainment icon appeared LIVE in studio and promised that this year's show will be a true tribute to real hip hop culture. In its eighth year, the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" (#hiphopawards) returns to The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, GA. The "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" tapes on Saturday, September 28, 2013 and premieres Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT

"Snoop is a pop culture icon who has millions of fans around the world. We are thrilled to have Uncle Snoop preside over the 'BET Hip Hop Awards 2013' and bring his unique blend of humor, wit, credibility and fun to the show. Get ready for something you've never seen!" - Stephen G. Hill President of Music Programming and Specials, BET Networks.

Also, the highly anticipated "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" cyphers, sponsored in part by Sprite, will once again be a part of this year's show with the hottest MCs delivering 16 bars that everyone will be talking about for the rest of the year. Additionally, the "I AM HIP HOP" award will be presented by Sprite.

Official sponsors of the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" include Sprite, Toyota and Reese's.

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 Hip Hop Awards, along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

"BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" will also air on Friday, October 18th on BET's international network in the UK and Africa, reaching more than 17 million households in 50+ countries.

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

On Twitter by using hashtag: #HipHopAwards; follow us @HipHopAwards and @BET

On Facebook by liking the fan page at facebook.com/HipHopAwards

FULL LIST OF "BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013" NOMINEES

Best Hip Hop Video
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar - Problems
B.o.B f/ T.I. & Juicy J - We Still In This
J. Cole f/ Miguel - Power Trip
Drake - Started From The Bottom
Kendrick Lamar - Don't Kill My Vibe

Reese's Perfect Combo Award (Best Collabo, Duo or Group)
Ace Hood f/ Rick Ross & Future - Bugatti
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar - Problems
J. Cole f/ Miguel - Power Trip
French Montana f/ Rick Ross, Drake & Lil Wayne - Pop That
Kendrick Lamar f/ Drake - Poetic Justice
Wale f/ Tiara Thomas - Bad

Best Live Performer
2 Chainz
J. Cole
JAY Z
Kendrick Lamar
Kanye West

Lyricist of the Year
J. Cole
Drake
JAY Z
Kendrick Lamar
Wale

Video Director of the Year
A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg
Benny Boom
Director X
Dre Films
Hype Williams

DJ of the Year
DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Funkmaster Flex
DJ Khaled
DJ Scream

Producer of the Year
J. Cole
Hit-Boy
DJ Mustard
Mike WiLL Made It
Pharrell Williams

MVP of the Year
2 Chainz
J. Cole
Drake
JAY Z
Kendrick Lamar

Track of the Year
Power Trip - Produced by J. Cole (J. Cole f/ Miguel)
Problems - Produced by Noah "40" Shebib (A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
Don't Kill My Vibe - Produced by Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar)
Bugatti - Produced by Mike WiLL Made It (Ace Hood f/ Rick Ross & Future)
Started From The Bottom - Produced by Mike Zombie & Noah "40" Shebib (Drake)

Album of the Year
J. Cole - Born Sinner
JAY Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
Nas - Life Is Good
Wale - The Gifted

Who New? Rookie of the Year
Action Bronson
A$AP Ferg
Earl Sweatshirt
Joey Bada$$
Trinidad Jame$

Hustler of the Year
Diddy
JAY Z
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
Kanye West

Made-You-Look Award
2 Chainz
A$AP Rocky
JAY Z
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
Kanye West

Best Hip Hop Online Site
Allhiphop.com
Complex.com
GlobalGrind.com
RapRadar.com
WorldStarHipHop.com

Best Club Banger
Ace Hood f/ Rick Ross & Future - Bugatti (Produced by Mike WiLL Made It)
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar - Problems (Produced by Noah "40" Shebib)
Drake - Started From The Bottom (Produced by Mike Zombie & Noah "40" Shebib)
French Montana f/ Rick Ross, Drake & Lil Wayne - Pop That (Produced by Lee on the Beats)
Trinidad Jame$ - All Gold Everything (Produced by M.e. (Devon Gallaspy))

Best Mixtape
Big Sean - Detroit
Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
Travi$ Scott - Owl Pharaoh
Stalley - Honest Cowboy
Trinidad Jame$ - Don't Be S.A.F.E.

Sweet 16 (Best Featured Verse)
Diddy - Same Damn Time (Remix) (Future f/ Diddy & Ludacris)
Drake - Versace (Remix) (Migos f/ Drake)
Future - Bugatti (Ace Hood f/ Rick Ross & Future)
Kendrick Lamar - Problems (A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
Wiz Khalifa - U.O.E.N.O. (Remix) (Rocko f/ Future & Wiz Khalifa)

Impact Track
J. Cole f/ TLC - Crooked Smile
JAY Z f/ Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Same Love
Wale f/ Sam Dew - LoveHate Thing
Kanye West - BLKKK SKKKNHEAD

BET.com Voting
To vote, head over to BET.com/PeoplesChamp

People's Champ Award
A$AP Rocky f/ Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar - Problems
J. Cole f/ Miguel - Power Trip
Drake - Started From The Bottom
Kendrick Lamar - Don't Kill My Vibe
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/ Mary Lambert - Can't Hold Us

Voting and Eligibility -Rules & Regulations

All voting will be conducted exclusively online and administered by an independent third party agency. All votes are 100% confidential and are tabulated without revealing voter identity. Eligible videos were submitted and accepted by BET for consideration for airplay and online between July 16, 2012 and July 15, 2013. Other material, including songs and mix tapes, must have been made initially available to the general public during the same period of July 16, 2012 through July 15, 2013 to be eligible for selection. Additionally, there are eight (8) write-in categories to allow the voting academy an opportunity to nominate at their will those artists who are currently on their radar. The total number of votes submitted during the voting period for the nominees in each of the eligible categories will be tabulated by the third party agency, and the nominee with the most votes in its applicable category, as determined by BET Networks in its sole discretion, will be declared winner of such category. In the event of a dispute or tie or if for any other reason BET Networks deems it necessary or appropriate, BET Networks reserves the right to make the final determination as to which of the nominees will be declared the winner of the category.

About Snoop Dogg ("Uncle Snoop")

An entertainment icon and with more than 20 years in the business, Snoop continues to pave the way in the hip-hop industry, serving as a mentor to many new and established artists. Being the trendsetter he is, Snoop stands at the forefront of popular culture with award-winning and multi-platinum albums and songs, critically acclaimed films and television shows, lifestyle products, philanthropic efforts and digital ventures, including his YouTube original series "GGN News." Snoop defines hip-hop history. He's set records with his seminal album Doggystyle, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 800,000 copies in the first week. Throughout his career, Snoop's produced chart-topping hits including "Gin & Juice," "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)," "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang," "Next Episode," "Beautiful," "Drop It Like It's Hot," "Signs," "Sensual Seduction" and "I Wanna Rock." He continues to awe millions of fans around the world with innovative initiatives, including his recent Coachella performance with longtime friend Dr. Dre and the infamous Tupac hologram, as well as releasing one of the most popular celebrity mobile apps Snoopify, reaching nearly one million users within the first week. Through his film production company, Snoopadelic Films, Snoop has produced an array of movies, including his film with Wiz Khalifa, Mac and Devin Go To High School, featuring the three times platinum and recent Grammy Award Nominee song, "Young, Wild and Free." Furthermore, he produced his latest Snoopadelic release in conjunction with VICE Media, Reincarnated, which documents Snoop's journey through reggae culture and Jamaica while recording his latest album (of the same title) with executive producer Diplo and Major Lazer. Snoop's non-profit work in the community is commendable, as he established the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) in 2005 to give children between the ages of five and 13 the opportunity to participate in youth football and cheer. SYFL teaches them the values of teamwork, good sportsmanship, discipline, and academics. Today, SYFL boasts 30 teams, more than 1,200 players and over 75 cheerleaders.

Follow Snoop Dogg on Twitter (@SnoopDogg), Instagram (@SnoopDogg), Facebook.com/SnoopDogg, YouTube.com/WestFestTV and SnoopDogg.com

About "The BET Hip Hop Awards"

"BET Hip Hop Awards" is an annual celebration that pays homage to a culture that changed the world while highlighting the best in hip hop music. Year after year, BET Networks delivers the best in hip-hop for an unforgettable night of performances, cyphers and tributes honoring hip-hop legends that have and continue to make hip-hop culture a global force.

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 Will Smith, 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 United States, 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.