Ciara is among the nominees in the BET Awards '07, airing Tuesday on BET. It's getting to be no surprise: another year, another chance for Ciara to earn BET Awards. A 2005 nominee for four of the honours and winner of one - best collaboration (for 1, 2 Step, with Missy Elliott) - and a contender for two last year, the young singer is in the running three more times in the BET Awards '07. She'll also perform when BET presents the event Tuesday, June 26, from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium.
Ciara's current bids are for her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution, which has gone platinum in sales since its December release. Its first single, Promise, is up for the viewer's choice award; the second, Like a Boy, is competing for video of the year. Ciara's third nomination is for best female R&B artiste, a repeat from 2005, when she was a candidate for best new artiste as well.
"It's truly a blessing," she says of being nominated again. "I grew up watching BET, not just the awards show but also everything else, and it's definitely cool to know that I am now an artiste included in these categories. It's also cool to feel the growth I'm having being measured by BET. It feels good.
"I put so much hard work into my music and my videos and everything I do, I really get involved. To be acknowledged for the things I'm so passionate about and I love is one of the biggest rewards. I mean, this is my career. You hear your songs played on the radio, and people buy your albums. Now, to be up for awards, you really feel supported."
"I believe that when you're trying to grow in life, it's always the best thing to be near someone who's a bit ahead of you. It keeps you humble, but it also gives you the inspiration that you need. When I'm performing in front of people I look up to, I think, 'I'm looking forward to being in your position.' "
50 Cent and T.I. also are among scheduled BET Awards performers this year, with comedy star Mo'Nique returning for her third go-round as the ceremony's host. Diana Ross will receive a lifetime achievement award, and current Ocean's Thirteen co-star Don Cheadle will get a humanitarian award for his work toward stopping genocide in Darfur.
Along with Ciara, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Akon and Gnarls Barkley have three nominations each. Among those with two nods are Ludacris, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Corrine Bailey Rae, Ne-Yo and Robin Thicke. However, the leader among the nominees is Beyonce with six bids.
Before striking out on her own, Ciara belonged to a group called Hearsay. After the Austin, Texas, native's 2003 graduation from a Georgia high school, she scored a record deal and made the album Goodies. She then toured with Gwen Stefani, Bow Wow and Chris Brown, and she's now preparing for another tour.
Add to that, a Grammy-winning teaming with Missy Elliott on Lose Control and acting roles in MTV's All You've Got and the forthcoming Mama, I Want to Sing! (with Patti LaBelle). That's a lot of activity in relatively few years. For the artiste born Ciara Princess Harris, staying centered is the key.
"I think it's all about just knowing your position," she says. "I know who I am and I know where I want to go, and it's important for me to follow my own path and see what happens. It's cool to see some new artiste dancing a certain way you did; it motivates you to keep thinking ahead and creating new things. Making music can get competitive at times, but I've made up my mind to enjoy it. If anything, I compete against myself, to make myself better."
That self-improvement campaign also means exploring other avenues of entertainment. Ciara is associated with Nissan and Glamour magazine in a contest for readers to choose one of three budding singers to star in a music video, which Ciara will direct.
"It'll also be my first time directing a video," she says, "I've learned a lot from doing each video, and this will give me a chance to express myself. I'm excited about being able to show my vision."
- Jay Bobbin, Zap2it
