In another life, Don Cornelius is rejoicing in the triumphant return of love, peace, and soul. Black music has always deserved a stage big enough to celebrate the people doing it, and, after a three-year hiatus, the Soul Train Awards is returning to BET. It returns with a new format designed to honor the artists who “defined the sound with the artists carrying it forward,” according to the official press release.
This comeback comes with some history. The ceremony will be taped in Chicago, where Don Cornelius first launched Soul Train in 1971 and built a weekly destination where Black music, fashion, dance and style were the main event, and what was on the Soul Train line reflected the cultural soul of America.
At a time when dedicated television spaces for R&B and soul have become increasingly rare, Soul Train once again connects the artists who built the foundation with the generation sampling it, remixing it and pushing it somewhere new.
The last Soul Train Awards aired in 2023, with Keke Palmer hosting, before the show was paused. In 2025, BET’s then-CEO Scott Mills told Billboard that the network had suspended both the Soul Train Awards and BET Hip Hop Awards. The jury is still out on the latter, but Soul Train has officially gotten its boarding call.
The Soul Train Awards returns November 27 at 8 p.m. and will air live on BET and CBS, giving the celebration of Black music an even broader stage. Performers, honorees and a host will be announced in the coming weeks.
In celebration of the Soul Train Awards’ long-awaited comeback, we’re taking a look back at seven of the most unforgettable moments from the ceremony throughout the years.
Anita Baker Tribute (2010)
In 2010, Anita Baker was honored with the Legend Award for her massive impact on R&B and defining the “quiet…
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