BET has announced the Soul Train Awards will return to screens this fall.
The company revealed on Thursday (Sept. 3) that the iconic award show, presented by Spotify and Toyota, will air Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET on BET and will be simulcast on CBS for the first time ever.
According to a press release, the show will be filmed in Chicago, where Don Corneliuslaunched the originalSoul Train. Details such as performers, honorees and the host will be announced in the coming weeks.
The news of the Soul Train Awards’ return comes after it was on a three-year hiatus.“As a Chicago native, I’m proud to bring the Soul Train Awards back to the city where it all originated,” said Louis Carr, president of BET. “Coming off a landmark year for BET, this return reaffirms what we do best: bringing our community together around the culture, and connecting the artists who built this sound to the ones carrying it forward.”
Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy, added, “The Soul Train Awards has always been the home for R&B and soul, and this year we’re reimagining the celebration with a bold new format. It’s about honoring the artists who shaped the genre while reinventing the night for where the music is headed.”
Joe Hadley, Spotify’s global head of music content and partnerships, commented, “We’re thrilled the Soul Train Awards are coming back. It’s a significant moment for R&B and soul, and for Spotify, it’s important to show up where culture is. Bringing Spotify and BET together allows us to extend the impact beyond the awards themselves, creating more opportunities for artists and their music to reach fans around the world.”
The last Soul Train Awards ceremony was taped in Los Angeles in 2023. Hosted by Keke Palmer, the show included winners such as Coco Jones (Best New Artist), Janelle Monáe (Spirit of Soul Award), Usher (Best R&B/Soul Male Artist) and SZA (Album of the Year – SOS). It also featured performances by SWV, Muni Long and October London.
In August 2025, former BET CEO Scott Mills told Billboard the network decided to pause the Soul Train Awards, along with its Hip-Hop Awards. “I would say that it’s less about them being no longer and more about our team having to reimagine them for this changing media landscape that we find ourselves in,” Scott told the publication.
Scott added, “So for BET linear, we have suspended the Soul Train and Hip-Hop award shows. But we have a team that’s actively thinking about where those award shows might best live as the media climate continues to evolve. They aren’t gone.”
