Soul Train Awards Are Set to Return After 3-Year Hiatus
Categoria: Musica
BET's Connie Orlando promises "a bold new format." Find out when it's coming back.
Por Billboard | 03/09/2026
The Soul Train Awards are making a comeback. On Thursday (Sept. 3), BET announced that the awards show will make its return later this year after a three-year hiatus. The Soul Train Awards presented by Spotify and Toyota will air Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will simulcast on CBS, BET HER, VH1, MTV2 and LOGO. The taping of the show will take place in Chicago, the city where the late visionary Don Cornelius first created the revolutionary music variety show in 1971. Cornelius, who died in 2012 at age 75, was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. This will be the first time the show has been held in Chicago. It was held in the Los Angeles area from 1987-2007. Since then it has been held in Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York (at the legendary Apollo Theater), as well as a return to L.A. in 2023. “As a Chicago native, I’m proud to bring the Soul Train Awards back to the city where it all originated,” Louis Carr, president, BET said via press release. “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, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy, BET 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.” Full service Emmy-winning production company Jesse Collins Entertainment will work alongside BET to produce the show. “Jesse Collins Entertainment is elated to return to produce the show,” said Collins, founder & CEO. “We are honored to work alongside BET, Spotify and Toyota towards an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances and special moments.” Spotify is the exclusive music streaming partner. Joe Hadley, their global head of music content & partnerships, is excited to see how the DSP can help the artists highlighted during the show extend their reach. “We’re thrilled the Soul Train Awards are coming back,” Hadley said via press release. “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 award show’s exclusive automotive partner will be Toyota. Dedra DeLilli, the company’s vp of marketing communications, added, “Soul Train has been a defining force in music and culture for more than five decades, and Toyota is proud to have been part of that legacy for many of those years. We’ve always believed in showing up where culture is being created and celebrated, which is why we are extremely excited to be the exclusive auto