Photo credit: BET
The Soul Train Awards are officially returning after a three-year hiatus.
BET announced Thursday that the awards show will return Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. This year’s ceremony will be taped in Chicago, the city where Don Cornelius launched the original Soul Train more than 50 years ago.
However, the Chicago homecoming is not the only major change.
For the first time, the Soul Train Awards will also air on CBS alongside BET. The special will additionally air on BET HER, VH1, MTV2 and LOGO.
As a result, the 2026 return gives the long-running franchise a wider television platform while reconnecting it with its roots.
Soul Train Awards Return to Their Roots
Chicago has deep ties to the Soul Train legacy.
Cornelius launched Soul Train in Chicago in 1971 before the series expanded into national syndication. Over the next 35 years, the program became a major platform for Black artists, dancers and entertainers.
Now, more than five decades later, the Soul Train Awards will tape in the same city where that story began.
Importantly, this marks the first time the awards ceremony itself will be held in Chicago. Previous ceremonies took place in locations including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York.
Therefore, the location gives the 2026 celebration added cultural significance.
A New Chapter for the Soul Train Awards
The comeback also comes with a refreshed creative direction.
BET says the 2026 show will honor legendary artists while highlighting the performers carrying Black music forward. The format will connect the history of R&B and soul with the sounds shaping the genres today.
Meanwhile, performances, honorees and host details have not yet been announced. BET says more information will come in the weeks ahead.
The last Soul Train Awards aired in 2023, with Keke Palmer serving as host. The show then went on a three-year break before BET announced its return.
Spotify and Toyota Join the Return
The 2026 Soul Train Awards will also have major corporate partners.
Spotify will serve as the exclusive music streaming partner, while Toyota will serve as the exclusive automotive partner.
For Spotify, the partnership creates another way to connect audiences with the artists and music featured through the franchise. At the same time, Toyota joins the celebration as BET prepares to relaunch the awards show for a new era.
Jesse Collins Entertainment will return as the show’s production company. BET executive Connie Orlando will serve as an executive producer, alongside Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay.
When Are the Soul Train Awards?
The Soul Train Awards will air Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS. The ceremony will also air on BET HER, VH1, MTV2 and LOGO.
More details about the performers, honorees and host are expected soon.
For now, the message is clear: after three years away, the Soul Train Awards are coming home to Chicago.
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Source: BET
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