Soul Train Awards Announces Return
The Soul Train Awards are officially coming back.
BET announced Thursday that the iconic celebration of R&B, soul, and Black music and culture will return this fall. The 2026 ceremony will air Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET. CBS will simulcast the show for the first time ever.
The ceremony will also air on BET HER, VH1, MTV2, and LOGO.
Spotify and Toyota will present this year’s Soul Train Awards. The show will tape in Chicago, the city where Don Cornelius launched the original Soul Train more than 50 years ago.
This marks a major return for one of the most influential brands in Black music and television. The new ceremony will celebrate the artists, songs, performances, and cultural moments that helped define the Soul Train legacy.
BET also plans to connect those historic contributions with the artists shaping R&B and soul today.
Soul Train Awards Return After Three-Year Hiatus
The Soul Train Awards are returning after a three-year hiatus.
The most recent ceremony aired in 2023. Keke Palmer hosted that edition, which featured performances from SWV, Muni Long, and October London.
That ceremony also celebrated several major names in contemporary R&B. SZA, Usher, Coco Jones, and Janelle Monáe were among the notable winners and honorees.
BET decided to pause the awards after the 2023 ceremony. The network later explained that it wanted to rethink the franchise during a changing media landscape.
Now, BET is ready to bring the celebration back.
The network says the 2026 ceremony will feature a “bold new format.” It will honor the artists who shaped R&B and soul while also highlighting the musicians moving those genres forward.
That approach could give the Soul Train Awards a different feel when they return.
BET has not announced the 2026 host yet. The network also has not revealed the performers or honorees.
Those announcements will come in the coming weeks.
Chicago Brings the Soul Train Story Full Circle
Chicago will serve as the setting for the 2026 Soul Train Awards.
The location carries enormous significance for the franchise. Don Cornelius launched Soul Train in Chicago in 1971 before the program expanded into national syndication.
The series eventually became a cultural institution.
For decades, Soul Train provided a major television platform for R&B, soul, funk, disco, gospel, pop, and hip-hop artists. The program also helped introduce viewers to new dance styles and fashion trends.
Its dancers became an important part of the show’s identity.
The famous Soul Train Line remains one of the most recognizable traditions associated with the program. That legacy continues to influence dance floors and pop culture today.
The original Soul Train completed a 35-year run before its final episode aired in 2006.
Bringing the awards back to Chicago gives BET an opportunity to honor those beginnings.
“As a Chicago native, I’m proud to bring the ‘Soul Train Awards’ back to the city where it all originated,” BET President Louis Carr said.
Carr also emphasized the importance of connecting generations.
He said the return will bring the community together while connecting the artists who built the sound with those carrying it forward.
BET Is Reimagining the Soul Train Awards
Connie Orlando, BET’s EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, will serve as an executive producer for the 2026 ceremony.
Orlando says BET wants to respect the history of the Soul Train Awards while giving the show a modern identity.
“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,” Orlando said.
The new format will focus on the artists who shaped the genres. At the same time, BET wants to showcase where R&B and soul are heading.
That creates plenty of possibilities for the November ceremony.
The Soul Train Awards have traditionally offered much more than award presentations. Performances, tributes, fashion, dance, and special collaborations have helped define the event.
BET can now build on those elements.
The network can also introduce new ideas that reflect how audiences consume music in 2026.
Spotify Becomes Exclusive Music Streaming Partner
Spotify will serve as the exclusive music streaming partner for the 2026 Soul Train Awards.
The partnership gives the ceremony a natural connection to today’s music industry.
Joe Hadley, Spotify’s Global Head of Music Content & Partnerships, said the return represents an important moment for R&B and soul.
“We’re thrilled the Soul Train Awards are coming back,” Hadley said. “It’s a significant moment for R&B and soul, and for Spotify, it’s important to show up where culture is.”
Spotify also sees an opportunity to expand the awards beyond the television broadcast.
Hadley said the partnership with BET can create more opportunities for artists and their music to reach fans around the world.
That strategy fits the modern music landscape.
Fans now discover and revisit music through streaming platforms. The Soul Train Awards can use that connection to extend the impact of its performances and celebrations beyond the night itself.
Toyota Named Exclusive Automotive Partner
Toyota will serve as the exclusive automotive partner for the returning Soul Train Awards.
The automaker has maintained a connection to Soul Train for many years.
“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,” Toyota Vice President of Marketing Communications Dedra DeLilli said.
DeLilli added that Toyota looks forward to helping bring the franchise back.
The partnership also reflects the continued cultural importance of Soul Train. Few television brands have maintained such a recognizable connection to Black music and entertainment across multiple generations.
Jesse Collins Entertainment Returns to Produce
Jesse Collins Entertainment will produce the 2026 Soul Train Awards.
Jesse Collins, the company’s founder and CEO, will serve as an executive producer. Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay will also serve as executive producers.
Collins expressed excitement about returning to the franchise.
“Jesse Collins Entertainment is elated to return to produce the show,” Collins said. “We are honored to work alongside BET, Spotify and Toyota towards an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances and special moments.”
Connie Orlando will also serve as an executive producer for BET.
The production team now has the task of bringing BET’s new vision for the Soul Train Awards to television.
Soul Train Awards Make CBS Debut
The CBS simulcast represents one of the biggest changes for the returning ceremony.
BET remains the primary home of the Soul Train Awards. However, CBS will give the show an opportunity to reach an even wider television audience.
The ceremony will air simultaneously on BET, CBS, BET HER, VH1, MTV2, and LOGO.
That could introduce the Soul Train Awards to viewers who do not regularly watch BET.
For longtime fans, the expanded broadcast also provides another way to watch the celebration.
The CBS debut comes as television continues to evolve. Networks now compete with streaming services for viewers, while major cultural events can still bring large audiences together.
The Soul Train Awards have an advantage in that area.
The franchise already has decades of history behind it.
What to Expect From the 2026 Soul Train Awards
BET is keeping several details secret for now.
The network has not announced the host, performers, or honorees. Fans will have to wait for those announcements in the coming weeks.
Still, BET has already established the direction for the comeback.
The ceremony will celebrate the legends who shaped R&B and soul. It will also recognize the artists pushing those sounds into the future.
That combination could create some memorable moments.
R&B and soul have changed significantly since Soul Train premiered in 1971. Artists today work across genres, platforms, and sounds in ways that would have been difficult to imagine when Cornelius first launched the show.
The Soul Train Awards can reflect that evolution.
At the same time, the ceremony can preserve the spirit that made the franchise special.
More than five decades after Cornelius introduced Soul Train to television audiences, the brand is preparing for another major chapter.
The 2026 Soul Train Awards will air Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET. CBS will simulcast the ceremony for the first time, while BET HER, VH1, MTV2, and LOGO will also carry the event.
Chicago will provide the backdrop for the celebration.
Spotify will serve as the exclusive music streaming partner. Toyota will serve as the exclusive automotive partner.
With a new format and a focus on both legendary and current artists, BET is positioning the 2026 Soul Train Awards as a celebration of the past, present, and future of R&B and soul.
Fans now have one major date to circle.
The Soul Train Awards return November 27.
