‘Soul Train Awards’ Revived After Three-Year Pause, Set to Return This November on Both BET and CBS (EXCLUSIVE)

The man who created the quintessential television showcase for rhythm and blues might just be applauding from above. BET has officially confirmed that the "Soul Train Awards" are making a comeback after a three-year absence. Slated to air on Friday, November 27th at 8 p.m., this reimagined ceremony will make history by broadcasting simultaneously on both BET and CBS, with the latter network hosting the special for the very first time.

Beyond those two flagship outlets, the 2026 edition will extend its reach across Paramount Skydance's expansive channel lineup, which includes VH1, MTV2, Logo, and BET Her. Jesse Collins Entertainment, a seasoned production house known for orchestrating some of music's biggest televised moments, will again take the helm. One notable twist: the event will not air live. Instead, it will be recorded in Chicago, the same city where Don Cornelius first launched "Soul Train" as a humble local music and dance program back in 1971. That initial run on independent station WCIU eventually exploded into a national syndication juggernaut that endured for decades, cementing its place in broadcasting history. Cornelius, who passed away in 2012, is widely credited with giving Black artists a mainstream platform long before the industry recognized their commercial power.

For Louis Carr, BET's president and a proud Chicago native, this homecoming carries both personal and cultural resonance. "As a Chicago native, I'm proud to bring the 'Soul Train Awards' back to the city where it all originated," Carr said in a prepared statement. "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." The last iteration of the awards aired in 2023, hosted by actress and singer Keke Palmer, but the franchise then went quiet. In 2025, outgoing CEO Scott Mills — who stepped down at year's end — told Billboard that both the "Soul Train Awards" and the "BET Hip-Hop Awards" had been "suspended," insisting it wasn't a farewell but a strategic reset. "I would say that it's less about them being no longer and more about our team having to reimagine them for this changing media landscape," he explained at the time. Connie Orlando, BET's executive VP of specials, music programming, and music strategy, promises a "bold" transformation. "The 'Soul Train Awards' has always been the home for R&B and soul," Orlando noted. "It's about honoring the artists who shaped the genre while reinventing the night for where the music is headed."

This revival lands at a pivotal moment for Black music television. With linear cable audiences shrinking and streaming platforms dictating how fans consume content, legacy franchises like "Soul Train" must evolve without forfeiting their cultural essence. The show's original 35-year run — from 1971 to 2006 — served as a springboard for countless legends, from Aretha Franklin to Mariah Carey, while challenging racial barriers in an industry that rarely spotlighted Black performers. BET's promotional materials describe the upcoming telecast as a fusion of "honorees who defined the sound with the artists carrying it forward," a nod to the generational bridge the program has always embodied. Specific performers, honorees, and the host are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, fueling anticipation for what BET calls a transformative evening. Media analysts suggest the dual-network strategy could dramatically widen the audience, potentially reshaping how legacy music awards navigate the modern ecosystem.

Behind the scenes, Orlando will executive produce for BET, collaborating with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment. The corporate firepower underscores the event's commercial stakes: Spotify has locked in as the exclusive music streaming partner, while Toyota heads the sponsorship roster. Joe Hadley, Spotify's global head of music content and partnerships, framed the comeback as a "significant moment for R&B and soul," while Dedra DeLilli, Toyota's VP of marketing communications, added, "We're proud to help bring this iconic platform back in a way that honors its legacy and the significance it continues to hold today." Industry insiders point out that the BET-CBS tandem could introduce the ceremony to a broader, more eclectic audience than ever before, setting a possible precedent for other awards shows grappling with fragmentation. Whether this reimagined format can recapture the original's magic remains an open question, but the cultural stakes have rarely felt higher.