This year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards took place on Saturday in Atlanta. While Russell Simmons was given the award for hip-hop icon, Lil Wayne was named lyricist of the year and MVP of the year. He was nominated for 12 awards. The show was hosted by T-Pain instead of comedian Katt Williams.

Lil Wayne is now part of the reunited band Hot Boys. He joined Cash Money Records since he was a teenager and also worked with B.G. for the album “True Story.” He released his first album, “Get It How U Live” in 1997, together with the band and his solo album in 1999, “Tha Block is Hot.”

He was nominated for Best New Artist from “The Source Magazine” in the same year and started featuring with some other hip-hop stars.

Other winners at the BET Hip-Hop Awards were MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Salt-n-Pepa, DJ Khaled, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman and Rick Ross. T.I., which was scheduled to make a show last year too, managed to do a great job this year.

The rapper was arrested last year and charged for trying to purchase semi-automatic guns and silencers. He pleaded guilty and he will be sentenced in March.

Shawty Lo was named MySpace Music Rookie of the Year and performers like Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy and Bow Wow kept the atmosphere really hot. The BET Hip-Hop Awards show will air on October 23.