Kanye a No-Show at BET Awards
Imprisoned rapper T.I. also picks up two awards at the ceremony
By CAITLIN MILLAT
Updated 8:01 AM EDT, Sun, Oct 11, 2009
Kanye West skipped out on one of music's biggest nights Saturday, staying away from the BET Hip-Hop Awards just weeks after he was publicly lambasted for storming the stage on MTV to protest country crooner Taylor Swift's win.
West was scheduled to attend the awards ceremony but didn't make an appearance at the Atlanta show, where he was nominated for several of the night's biggest honors.
The rapper and producer was panned nationally after he jumped onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards last month, stealing the microphone from 18-year-old Taylor Swift, who had just won the award for Female Video of the Year. West told the audience he thought Beyonce Knowles deserved the award, preempting Swift's thank-you speech and causing a raucous chorus of boos from the audience.
A remorseful West later apologized for his outburst on national television and twice on his blog.
Rapper T.I. wasn't present at the awards show either, but for an entirely different reason -- he remained behind bars in an Arkansas prison on federal weapons charges, where he's been since May.
T.I. won Saturday evening for Album of the Year and Best Collaboration, awarded to his record "Paper Trail" and his hit "Live Your Life" with superstar R&B singer Rihanna.
The rapper's fiance Tameka "Tiny Cottle" accepted the honors on T.I.'s behalf.
"Although I'm not there with you all, I'm there in spirit," Cottle quoted T.I. from a letter the rapper wrote. "My road to redemption is almost over."
Other notables at the BET Awards included "MVP of the Year" winner Jay-Z and Rookie of the Year winner Drake, the child star-turned-rapper behind the hit "Best I Ever Had."
DJ AM also won an honorary posthumous award for DJ of the Year, presented by Busta Rhymes.
The show will air Oct. 27.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut
First Published: Oct 10, 2009 11:19 PM EDT
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