The Hippest Trip in America Is Finally Pulling Back Into the Station
Whoo-hoo! The Soul Train Awards are finally coming back.
BET has officially announced that the Soul Train Awards will return in 2026 after a three-year hiatus, with the ceremony airing Friday, November 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on BET and, for the first time ever, simulcast on CBS.
And because one network apparently was not enough for all thee love, peace and soul, the telecast will also air across BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo.
This year’s ceremony will be taped in Chicago, bringing the franchise back to the city where Don Cornelius first launched Soul Train more than 50 years ago.
BET says the revived show will use a reimagined format built around both the artists who defined R&B and soul and the newer voices carrying that sound forward. Performers, honorees and host details are still to come.
Spotify and Toyota are presenting the 2026 ceremony, with Spotify also serving as the exclusive music streaming partner. Jesse Collins Entertainment returns as the production company.
The return matters because the Soul Train Awards have always felt bigger than a standard trophy show. They grew out of a television institution that helped shape how generations saw Black music, dance, fashion and culture on screen — from R&B and soul to funk, disco, hip-hop, jazz and gospel.
And now, after three years away, the Soul Train Awards are getting another run down thee line.
Watch a Soul Train Awards Throwback Clip
Revisit one of the moments that helped define the Soul Train Awards legacy ahead of the ceremony’s 2026 return.
Watch More From the Soul Train Awards Archive
Another archival clip keeps the classic Soul Train energy moving before the awards return to television this November.
Source: BET; CBS / Paramount Press Express; Spotify.
