Soul Train Awards revived, returning Nov. 27 on BET and CBS
BET is bringing the Soul Train Awards revived telecast back on Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m., airing simultaneously on BET and CBS for the first time. The show, paused after its 2023 edition, will be taped in Chicago and also run on VH1, MTV2, Logo and BET Her. According to Variety, Jesse Collins Entertainment will produce the return after a three-year hiatus.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 Soul Train Awards air Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. on both BET and CBS.
- CBS will carry the special for the first time; VH1, MTV2, Logo and BET Her will also air it.
- The show will be taped in Chicago, not live, where Don Cornelius launched "Soul Train" in 1971.
- BET says the telecast is being reimagined; host, honorees and performers come later.
- Spotify is the exclusive music streaming partner, and Toyota is a key sponsor.
When does the Soul Train Awards return, and where can you watch?
The 2026 Soul Train Awards will air Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. on BET and CBS. Variety reports it is the first time CBS has run the special. Paramount Skydance cable channels VH1, MTV2, Logo and BET Her will also carry the telecast.
The awards will not be live. BET is taping in Chicago, where Cornelius launched "Soul Train" in 1971 on independent station WCIU before national syndication. Fans who track streaming and TV alerts now have a firm date and a dual cable-broadcast window.
Why were the Soul Train Awards paused for three years?
The last Soul Train Awards aired in 2023, hosted by Keke Palmer. The franchise then went dark for three years.
In 2025, BET's then-CEO Scott Mills, who Variety says departed at the end of 2025, told Billboard the company had "suspended" both the Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards. He said it was "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."
BET president Louis Carr, a Chicago native, tied the revival to the show's birthplace. "As a Chicago native, I'm proud to bring the 'Soul Train Awards' back to the city where it all originated," Carr said. "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."
How is BET reimagining the 2026 Soul Train Awards?
Connie Orlando, BET executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy, said the show will be "reimagined" with a "bold new format." She is executive producer of Soul Train Awards 2026 for BET.
"The 'Soul Train Awards' has always been the home for R&B and soul," Orlando said. "It's about honoring the artists who shaped the genre while reinventing the night for where the music is headed."
BET described the telecast as blending "honorees who defined the sound with the artists carrying it forward, celebrating a legacy that has influenced American music since 'Soul Train' first went on the air in 1971." Performances, honorees and host details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Who is producing the revived show, and which brands are involved?
Jesse Collins Entertainment returns as producer. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are executive producers alongside Orlando.
Spotify is the exclusive music streaming partner. Joe Hadley, Spotify global head of music content and partnerships, called the comeback a "significant moment for R&B and soul." Toyota is a key sponsor. Marketing communications vice president Dedra DeLilli said Toyota is "proud to help bring this iconic platform back in a way that honors its legacy and the significance it continues to hold today."