SA group nominated for a BET Award

Los Angeles - SA band Teargas has been nominated for a prestigious Black Entertainment Television Award.

The band formed in 2005 and features Ntokozo "KO" Mdluli, Ezee "Ma-E" Hanabe and Bantu "Ntukza" Hanabe. They are nominated in the Best International Act: Africa category.

Chris Brown leads nominations for this year's BET Awards, with six nods.

Brown has an impressive haul of nominations, including Best Male R&B Artist, Viewer's Choice and Video of the Year for his track Look at Me Now.

The nominations continue his comeback after being found guilty of assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.

Chris immediately took to twitter after the nominations, writing: "Thx to B.E.T for all the support and I love you."

He is joined in the Best Male R&B Artist category by Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars, Trey Songz and Usher.

Hip-Hop

Lil Wayne follows in the number of nominations, with five for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, Viewer's Choice and three more through his guest appearance on Brown's Look at me Now.

Joining him in the Best Male Hip-Hop category are B.o.B., Drake, Rick Ross and Kanye West.

Leading the nominations in the female categories is Rihanna, who has four nominations, for Best Female R&B Artist, two nominations in the Best Collaboration category - for her track What's My Name with Drake and her work on Kanye's track All of the Lights - and a nod in the Viewers' Choice section.

In the Female R&B Artist category Rihanna finds herself up against Marsha Ambrosius, Beyoncé, Keri Hilson and Jennifer Hudson. The Best Female Hip-Hop Artist category sees Nicki Minaj face off against Diamond, Cymphonique and Lola Monroe

Other award categories include Best Group, Best New Artist and Video of the Year.

List of main category nominations for the BET Awards 2011

Best Female R&B Artist
Marsha Ambrosius
Beyoncé
Keri Hilson
Jennifer Hudson
Rihanna

Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Cee Lo Green
Bruno Mars
Trey Songz
Usher

Best Group
Diddy-Dirty Money
Cali Swag District
N.E.R.D.
New Boyz
Travis Porter

Best Collaboration
B.o.B. featuring Haley Williams of Paramore, Airplanes
Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, Look at Me Now
Chris Brown featuring Tyga & Kevin McCall, Deuces
Waka Flocka Flame featuring Roscoe Dash & Wale, No Hands
Rihanna featuring Drake, What's My Name
Kanye West featuring Rihanna, All of The Lights

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
B.o.B.
Drake
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross
Kanye West

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Diamond
Cymphonique
Lola Monroe
Nicki Minaj

Video of the Year
Marsha Ambrosius, Far Away
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore, Airplanes
Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, Look at Me Now
Keri Hilson, Pretty Girl Rock
Willow Smith, Whip My Hair
Kanye West featuring Pusha T, Runaway

Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Mr Boomtown
Chris Robinson
Kanye West
Hype Williams

Best New Artist
J Cole
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Willow Smith
Wiz Khalifa

Best Gospel
Byron Cage
Deitrick Haddon
Mary Mary
Karen Clark Sheard
BeBe & CeCe Winans

YoungStars Award
Shenell Edmonds
Keke Palmer
Diggy Simmons
Jaden Smith
Willow Smith

Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Nominees
Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, Look at Me Now
Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz, 6 Foot 7 Foot
Mindless Behavior, My Girl
Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Moment 4 Life
Rihanna featuring Drake, What's My Name
Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, Bottoms Up

Centric Award
Marsha Ambrosius
Eric Benet
Cee Lo Green
R Kelly
Kem

Best International Act: Africa
2Face Idibia (Nigeria)
D'Banj (Nigeria)
D-Black (Ghana)
Angelique Kidjo (Benin)
Fally Ipupa (Congo DR)
Teargas (South Africa)

Best International Act: UK
VV Brown
Chipmunk
Laura Izibor
Skepta
Tinchy Stryder
Tinie Tempah