Awards Shows
BET Awards -- The White Elephant in the Room

Hang on tight -- its about to get racial up in here. TMZ has learned that 2007 could be the first year that a white musician wins a Black Entertainment Television Award ... besides Michael Jackson.
Robin Thicke, BET Awards
Platinum-selling superstar Robin Thicke has been nominated for two BET Awards: Best Male R&B Artist, and his song "Lost Without You" is up for a Viewer's Choice Award. Only two other white artists have ever even been nominated for a BET Award -- Justin Timberlake and Eminem -- but neither of them took home the prize. Could Robin break down the BET color barrier?!

The competition is thick; Thicke is up against Akon, John Legend, Gerald Levert, and Ne-Yo for Best Male, and competing with Beyonce, Birdman & Lil' Wayne, Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown, Ciara and UNK for the Viewer's Choice.

The BET Awards will be live from The Shrine in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 26.

Filed under: Music, Awards/Awards Shows

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 12)Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

16. you got be kidding

Posted at 1:58PM on Jun 14th 2007 by tee

17. BET Awards are a crock......waste of time..........they'll give Beyonce all the awards, and every performance will be mimicking Beyonce!! Talk about over exposing a talentless, jealous, power-hungry and fame-starved wannabe, with her pounds and pounds of wigs!!! Don't these black people have ANY talent that they could showcase, instead of that Beyonce broad?

Posted at 1:58PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Oh puuuleease!!

18. TMZ should stick to whining about that dingbat Paris Hilton's "tribulations" rather bringing up the BET Awards and Robin Thicke! Robin Thicke's a talented dude and that transcends race, TMZ!!

Posted at 1:59PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Vamp

19. I would love to see what would happen if we had the WET awards and a black never won....

Posted at 2:03PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Jimbo

20. First of all, to whoever made the typical ignorant comment about if there was a "White Entertainment Awards and people would protest blah blah blah..." Think about this, every other award is pretty much just that. The Oscars, where only a handful of Blacks, Latinos and Asians have won in it's I believe 79 year history. The Emmys, the Tonys where just a couple a years ago (Phylicia Rashad became the first Black woman to win best actress in a dramatic role. ) And everything else that is considered to be "prestigious." I swear when any other race tries to have something for themselves, it's considered to be "separation, discrimination, etc." However, white people have been doing that since they invaded this country and people have ignored it. How long did it take for "separate but equal" to be broken down? Exactly my point. Secondly, BET was sold several years ago and is now owned by Viacom who is guess what? Owned by a white man by the name of Sumner Redstone, so essentially it's a rich white man pulling the strings. Just because it may be in blackface does not make it BLACK. Please, people, learn a little something! The color barrier was something established by whites in this country not Blacks, yet whites can jump it anytime they want in regards to music, culture, etc. However, the reverse is still not allowed to happen. It's called white privilege, so blame that instead of blaming and naming off the other crap that makes you sound uneducated.

Posted at 2:06PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Shay

21. #8 KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. I AGREE 100%. IN 2007 WITH ALL THE EQUAL RIGHTS CRAP, THERE IS STILL AN ENTIRE NETWORK THAT IS DISCRIMINATING. AND IF ANYONE EVEN MENTIONED HAVING A "WET" NETWORK, THE WHOLE BLACK COMMUNITY WOULD BE UP IN ARMS. NONE OF IT MAKES ANY SENSE

Posted at 2:06PM on Jun 14th 2007 by #8

22. mo'nique is hosting? aww man i already got my monthly fill of regurgitated comedy that's already been done before, but better. maybe i can catch it next month as a rerun.

Posted at 2:07PM on Jun 14th 2007 by barf

23. I concur w/ # 20...you wrote what I was going to say.

Posted at 2:08PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Sophie

24. Notice the Momma and Juke no one responded to your comments some of us are tired of the stupidty that rolls out of your mouths. It just shows how uneducated and classless you two are. But anyway I think that Robin Thicke is great, love his music and would love to see him win that award.

Posted at 2:08PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Get a life!!

25. "Think about this, every other award is pretty much just that."

This nonsense argument rings pretty hollow today. Ever turn on MTV? That alone proves the BS you typed. Stop making excuses for your racism. If you are black, you should be ashamed for trying to promote racism & if you're white, you should be ashamed for thinking black people cant live up to the same standard you put on whites.

Posted at 2:11PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Juke

26. Shay

Shut up. The difference is we do not call them the White awards and if we did it would be called racist. But the blacks can name it "Black Entertainment Television" and not be thought of as racist because of something that happened to their grandmas grandma

Posted at 2:12PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Shays an idiot

27. #22 - I agree, IN A WAY, that other award shows WERE like that... but they're learning, and awarding people deseriving of the awards... HOW (pray tell) HOW is BET not perpetuating the situation by basically ENCOURAGING racism!!

Saying "Well all the other award show deny us - so we'll deny them." Oh THAT'S mature! Smart. Forward moving.

I see all these "black comedies" that have zero problem calling other cultures names, and being totally ignorant about their OWN race.... I watched "Beauty Shop" again the other day. Although I find it a really funny movie, on another level I want to bitch slap every person who was in it for the racist under (and OVER) tones of the entire movie!!

Posted at 2:14PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Whatever

28. And rightfully so....There are no "White Entertainment awards" There is no "Ivory magazine".... Equality!!!

Posted at 2:14PM on Jun 14th 2007 by sick sick sick

29. Well said Shay, like I said before uneducated, stcuk on stupid people would make such a brainless remark without getting the facts.

Posted at 2:14PM on Jun 14th 2007 by Get a life!!

30. you already have the WET awards its called the Country Music Awards.....

Posted at 2:15PM on Jun 14th 2007 by nay

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