BET Revamps the Soul Train Awards: ‘We Knew This Couldn’t Be a Granddaddy’ Show
BET is bringing back the Soul Train Awards on 27 November after a two-year break, with a redesigned show intended to honour the genre’s legacy while highlighting its future. BET says audience demand and renewed interest in R&B helped drive the return, which will also mark the awards’ first broadcast on CBS.
The two-hour programme will have two fan-voted categories and honours for artists representing Classic Soul, New Soul and Soul Personified. Chaka Khan will receive the Classic Soul Honor and Durand Bernarr the Soul Personified Honor; the New Soul recipient and performers are still to be announced. The show will be taped in Chicago on 5 November, hosted by Anthony Anderson, and will bring back the Soul Cypher and BET Amplified Stage.
In short
- Soul Train Awards return on 27 November after a two-year hiatus.
- Chaka Khan and Durand Bernarr are among the honourees.
- The show will air on CBS for the first time.
Explained simply
The Soul Train Awards are part of a wider Soul Train tradition that began with a US television programme showcasing Black music and dance. The awards recognise artists in soul and R&B, styles of popular music shaped by Black musicians and communities.
BET, a US television network focused on Black audiences and culture, has presented the awards in recent years. The programme’s return brings together established and newer artists, with some categories decided by fans, reflecting the awards’ role in celebrating both the history and continuing development of soul music.