Lil Wayne Calls VMA Nomination 'Awesome'

Lil Wayne closed out the 2011 VMAs like a rock star, clad in leopard-print leggings, and Weezy is ready to make an impact at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards as well with a boatload of nominations for him and his YMCMB team.

In an interview with DJ Drama for HotSpotATL.com, Wayne was very gracious about his "How to Love" video being nominated for Best Video With a Message, telling Drama, "That's awesome right there."

The full VMA nominations list was announced Tuesday, and Drake leads the pack with five nominations, while Nicki Minaj is up for two awards. Drake's "HYFR" received a nod for Best Hip-Hop Video, while "Take Care" (featuring Rihanna) is nominated for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.

Nicki Minaj's colorful pop ensemble "Starships" is nominated for Best Female Video, while her strip-club ode "Beez in the Trap" featuring 2 Chainz is up for Best Hip-Hop Video.

Wayne closed out last year's show by performing his singles "How to Love" and "John," after a heartfelt introduction from Drake. Tune in September 6 to see what the Young Money crew has in store this year.

Viewers can now vote for general VMA categories, including Video of the Year, Best New Artist and more, by visiting VMA.MTV.com or m.mtv.com on their mobile phone. In addition, Best New Artist is available for voting via all wireless carriers by t! exting B NA to 22444 or by visiting MTV's official Facebook page.

The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Head to VMA.MTV.com now through August 24 to vote for your favorites, or text BNA to 22444 to vote for Best New Artist all the way through the show!