Soul legend Al Green has been handed a lifetime achievement award at the BET (Black Entertainment TV) hip-hop awards.

Green, a performer since the age of nine, rose to fame in the early '70s with the albums Let's Stay Together and Call Me. Success came for Green when, with the help of producer Willie Mitchell, he cultivated his own voice instead of trying to emulate heroes Jackie Wilson, Wilson Pickett and James Brown.

This year's BET nominee frontrunner is R&B singer-songwriter T-Pain, who has five nods for collaborations with other artists.

"He's got five nominations, none of them for his own work," said BET executive vice president Stephen Hill.

Kanye West and Keyshia Cole each received three nominations, while Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys and Flo Rida scored two nods each.

The BET awards will take place in Los Angeles on June 24.