Kanye West leads the field with seven nominations for the 2012 BET Awards, announced yesterday. That’s one ahead of Yeezy’s partner in The Throne, Jay-Z, who’s not only tied with his better half, Beyoncé, but is pitted against her in five of the six categories.

Watch the Throne would certainly be up for Album of the Year if the BET Awards offered the category. As it is, The Throne is up for Best Group, Collaboration and Viewer’s Choice honors. West is up for Director of the Year, and so is Beyoncé, who is up against herself in the Video category with "Love on Top" and "Countdown."

Things are further complicated in the collaboration category, which is essentially six degrees of Jay-Z, as the L.A. Times’ Gerrick Kennedy puts it: Beyoncé’s “Party” remix, produced by Kanye and featuring Jay’s protégé J Cole, competes with Jay’s collab with West, who also appears in the category alongside his protégé Big Sean. How’s that for built-in drama?

Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Drake also scored multiple noms, while Best New Artist is essentially a battle of emerging rappers, with A$AP Rocky, Big Sean, Diggy, Future and Meek Mill going head to head.

The BET Awards are set for July 1 at the Shrine Auditorium, with Samuel L. Jackson hosting. Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj are the first announced performers.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE…
Best Female R&B Artist: Marsha Ambrosius, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Melanie Fiona, Rihanna
Best Male R&B Artist: Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, Miguel, Trey Songz, Usher
Best Group: Bad Meets Evil, Diddy-Dirty Money, Maybach Music Group, Mindless Behavior, The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
Best Collaboration: Beyoncé f/ J Cole - "Party," Big Sean f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash - "Marvin & Chardonnay," DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne - "I'm On One," Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga - "The Motto," The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding - "Otis," Wale 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, Trina
Video of the Year: Beyoncé - "Countdown," Beyoncé - "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: Beyoncé & Alan Ferguson, Benny Boom, Chris Brown & Godfrey Tabarez, Kanye West, Hype Williams
Best New Artist: A$AP Rocky, Big Sean, Diggy Future, Meek Mill
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: Don Cheadle, Common, Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, Denzel Washington
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: Beyoncé - "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, Estelle, Robert Glasper, Robin Thicke, Tyrese
Best International Act: AfricaCamp Mulla (Kenya), Ice Prince (Nigeria), Lira (South Africa), Mokobe (Mali), Sarkodie (Ghana), Wizkid (Nigeria)
Best International Act: UK: Estelle, Labrinth, Emeli Sande, Sway, Wretch 32