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If the pre-party is any indication, then the 2007 BET Awards are going to be a whole lot of fun. Sigh. I wish we had been able to get some red-carpet access, luckily, however, I was hooked up with a peek at the gift suite, which I’ll be sharing with you guys tomorrow. Mo’Nique will be hosting the show, taking a break from her “Charm School” mistress duties to take on the role of host for the third time. Diana Ross is scheduled to receive a lifetime achievement award and you know with all the “Dreamgirls” nostalgia in the air, it’s going to be a splashy event filled with sequins, montages and dance numbers. According to Stephen Hill, executive producer and BET’s executive vice president of music programming and talent, the show will be presenting a blend of musical talent from the past and present.

“I think our kind of special ingredient is that it’s not just a look back at the past year,” says Hill, interrupted as Ciara rehearses in the background. “We really honor our national treasures of music.”

Good times. Performances from Diddy, 50 Cent and Beyoncé are expected, as well as numerous other artists.

The 2007 BET Awards show airs tonight at 8 p.m. (ET), 7 p.m. (CT).

(Splash)

More photos (Ashanti, Nelly, Gabrielle Union, Ne-Yo, Tyrese Gibson, Akon) from the Pre-BET Awards Party in L.A. after the jump.

(Splash)