MAXWELL, ASHANTI, BRUNO MARS, ANDERSON .PAAK, SILK SONIC, ARI LENNOX, LEON BRIDGES, AND LUCKY DAYE TO PERFORM AT THE 2021 "SOUL TRAIN AWARDS," PRESENTED BY BET

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HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED SOUL CYPHER TO FEATURE D-NICE, MUSIQ SOULCHILD, JAC ROSS, KORYN HAWTHORNE, ELLE VARNER, AND TONE STITH

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H.E.R., TRISTAN MACK WILDS, AND BOTH CASTS OF GAMES PEOPLE PLAY AND SACRIFICE CONFIRMED AS PRESENTERS

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE ICONIC "SOUL TRAIN" LEGACY AND AIRING FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM THE WORLD FAMOUS APOLLO, 2021 "SOUL TRAIN AWARDS" PREMIERES SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28 AT 8 PM ET/PT ON BET AND BET HER

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#SOULTRAINAWARDS

NEW YORK, NY - (November 10, 2021) - Today, BET announced the 2021 "Soul Train Awards" will feature an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances, special moments and appearances by some of the biggest stars in R&B, Gospel, Adult Urban Contemporary and Soul. This year, performers will include the 2021 "Soul Train Awards" 'Legend Award' honoree Maxwell, 'Lady of Soul' honoree Ashanti, R&B super duo Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, R&B/Soul songstress Ari Lennox, soul singer/songwriter and producer Leon Bridges, R&B singer Lucky Daye, and more. The 2021 "Soul Train Awards" presented by BET premieres Sunday, November 28 at 8 PM ET/PT on BET and BET Her. Internationally, the 2021 "Soul Train Awards" will simulcast on BET Africa at 2am CAT on November 29th and air on BET France on December 1st, at 10:30pm CET. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK beginning December 3rd.

"Soul music is a movement, and we are incredibly proud to give it a platform and produce a performance line-up that will exemplify the best of the genre and reach generations of music lovers across the globe," said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. "We could not be more thrilled for these exceptional artists to hit the stage at the historic World Famous Apollo, in celebration of fifty years of Soul Train. This will definitely be an iconic night to remember."

The "Soul Train Awards" annual Soul Cypher is a tradition started by former show host Erykah Badu that features a group of artists freestyling. The cypher will bring together some of today's top vocalists for what promises to be an electrifying performance. Participants in the cypher this year include D-Nice, Musiq Soulchild, Jac Ross, Koryn Hawthorne, Elle Varner, and Tone Stith. As a nod to the 20th Anniversary of her self-titled album Aaliyah, the late R&B great's hit single "Rock the Boat" provides both theme and instrumental for the cypher.

Additionally, BET announced the first group of presenters who will take the stage: H.E.R., Tristan Mack Wilds, and the BET casts of Games People Play and Sacrifice, a BET+ Original series.

As previously announced, H.E.R. leads the 2021 "Soul Train Awards'' nominations with an impressive eight nods for 'Best R&B/Soul Female Artist,' 'Song of the Year,' 'Album of the Year,' 'The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award (x2),' 'Best Collaboration (x2),' and 'Video of the Year'. Jazmine Sullivan and Chris Brown garnered the second most nods with six nominations each. Jazmine Sullivan's nods include 'Best R&B/Soul Female Artist,' 'Song of the Year,' 'Album of the Year,' 'The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award,' 'Best Collaboration,' and 'Video of the Year'. Chris Brown'snods include 'Best R&B/Soul Male Artist,' 'The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter's Award,' 'Best Dance Performance,' 'Best Collaboration (x2),' and 'Video of the Year'. Wizkid and TEMS are the third highest with five nods each, followed by Blxst with four nods. Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, Doja Cat, and Yung Bleu each have three nods.

Three-time GRAMMY(R) award-winning singer-songwriter and producer Maxwell will receive the 'Legend' award at the 2021 "Soul Train Awards." Award-winning and multi-platinum singer/songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and author Ashanti will be the recipient of the 'Lady of Soul' honor.

Dynamic best-friend duo Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold will return as co-hosts of the 2021 "Soul Train Awards," bringing their irreplaceable energy and hilarious comedic talents to this year's show.

Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy will oversee the annual show, with Jamal Noisette VP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy to Co-Executive Produce for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment's Jesse Collins and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay will serve as Executive Producers of the 2021 "Soul Train Awards."

For show information, please visit BET.com/SoulTrain, the official site for the 2021 "Soul Train Awards."

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ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT

Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment. The Emmy(R) nominated company has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE's film development projects which could include Viacom's film entities such as Paramount Players. The award-winning and critically acclaimed television that JCE has produced includes miniseries - "The New Edition Story" and "The Bobby Brown Story;" scripted series - "American Soul" and "Real Husbands of Hollywood;" unscripted series - "Cardi Tries;" children's series - "Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices;" award shows - "BET Awards," "Black Girls Rock!," "BET Honors," "UNCF's An Evening of Stars," "BET Hip Hop Awards," "ABFF Honors" and "Soul Train Awards;" specials - "John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero," "Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration," "Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today," "Stand Up for Heroes," "Dear Mama," "Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin'," "Def Comedy Jam 25" and "Leslie Jones: Time Machine;" as well as competition/game shows - "Sunday Best," "Hip Hop Squares," "Nashville Squares" and "Rhythm & Flow." Jesse Collins, founder and CEO of the company, is the executive producer of all programming. He is also a co-executive producer for the iconic Grammy Awards. Most recently, he was executive producer of The 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show and produced The 2021 Academy Awards. He will next executive produce the 2021 American Music Awards. Go to jessecollinsent.com for more information on the company.

ABOUT THE APOLLO

The non-profit Apollo is a performing arts presenter, commissioner, and collaborator that also produces festivals and large-scale dance and musical works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend the Apollo's legacy through a contemporary lens, including the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me and the New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved; special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo; 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella; the annual Africa Now! Festival; bi-annualWomen of the World (WOW) Festival; as well as other multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations. Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres - including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R., D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miri Ben Ari; and the Apollo's forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information about the Apollo, visit www.ApolloTheater.org.

ABOUT SOUL TRAIN

"Soul Train" was created in 1971 by visionary Don Cornelius and predominantly featured performances by R&B, pop, soul, and hip-hop artists, in addition to the occasional funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists. When the final episode of the show's historic thirty-five-year run aired in 2006, it was the longest running first-run, nationally syndicated program in television history. "Soul Train" highlighted a cast of incredible, ethnically diverse dancers who famously introduced the world to a whole new series of dance moves and styles on a weekly basis. Cornelius opened every show welcoming the audience to "the hippest trip in America" and closed each show wishing the audience "love, peace and soul." Today, the legacy of "Soul Train" lives on through the legendary Soul Train dance line, which has become a timeless staple on dance floors across America. In 2016, BET, acquired the "Soul Train" brand and remains dedicated to revitalizing the brand while also honoring its heritage.

ABOUT SOUL TRAIN HOLDINGS

SOUL TRAIN HOLDINGS, LLC was formed in May 2008 and is owned by InterMedia Partners and a partnership between Magic Johnson Enterprises and Ron Burkle's investment firm, The Yucaipa Companies. The iconic franchise and catalog consists of more than 1,100 episodes and 40 specials from Don Cornelius Productions, Inc. Soul Train is the longest running, first-run, nationally syndicated music program in television history. During its 35-year run, the show featured lasting innovations such as the Soul Train line and the legendary sign off "Love, Peace and Soul." At the heart of the show was Don Cornelius, the dancers and influential artists such as James Brown, Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Prince, Run D.M.C. and Destiny's Child.