Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles are going head-to-head in a musical competition.
One might suppose that this is a foregone conclusion. One would be wrong.
Beyonce may lead the just-announced BET Awards nominations field with seven for her manifesto, Lemonade. And Solange is not that far behind with four -- tied with Chance the Rapper and Migos -- resulting from her own masterpiece, A Seat at the Table.
But the biggest news may be the major categories for which both are nominated. Beyonce and her younger sister up against each other for best female R&B/pop artist, album of the year and video of the year.
Let's dissect: Though Beyonce's "Sorry" landed with a pool-clearing (sorry, Becky -- not sorry) splash, Solange's "Cranes in the Sky" trickled into the ear and became an anthem, too.
The albums did much the same -- pool-clearing and more trickles. Solange quietly amassed critical acclaim while Lemonade incited think pieces across the internet and in newsrooms and living rooms.
Even as Solange has called her sister a "master class," there are some fans who proclaim the younger as the clear winner in this one; whether you know it or not, this debate was running way before the nominations landed. "Overrated" this and "underrated" that. And these nominations will do nothing but add fuel to the fire of both sets of fans.
Just get your popcorn ready.
There are several other nominations that are lighting fire to fans of acts with local ties.
Local nominees include Kirk Franklin featuring Sarah Reeves, Tasha Cobbs and Tamela Mann ("My World Needs You"); Tamela Mann ("God Provides"); and Lecrae for "Can't Stop Me Now (Destination)." Each is nominated for the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award. Plano's Marsai Martin (ABC's black-ish) is nominated for the YoungStars Award .
Watch for the victors on The BET Awards -- and maybe another action-oriented speech from Jesse Williams? -- scheduled for Sunday, June 25 at 7 p.m.
A full list of nominees can be found at BET.com/betawards, where you can also still vote for the Viewers' Choice Award.
And, yes. Beyonce is nominated for that one, too.
