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THE SOUL TRAIN AWARDS NOMINEES ARE IN, AND FANS DECIDE THE WINNERS IN TWO NEW CATEGORIES!
Brent Faiyaz, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown & Bryson Tiller, Daniel Caesar, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis, Olivia Dean, Tems, and Tyla Up for R&B/Soul Song of the Year, Voted Exclusively on BET.com
New Spotify R&B X International Artist Category Features Tems, FLO, Odeal, Cleo Sol, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tiana Major9, and kwn, With Voting Exclusively on Spotify
Plus, Fans Rank The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s, Counted Down During the Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show: "Back on Track"
NEW YORK - Oct. 5, 2026 - BET today announced the Soul Train Awards 2026 nominees, kicking off fan voting for the reimagined show. For the first time, fans will have a say in who takes home the trophies, with two new fan-voted categories: R&B/Soul Song of the Year, with voting on BET.com and Spotify's RNB X International Artist, with voting in the Spotify app.
Voting is open now through Oct. 16, and fans can see who takes home the trophies Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET, with a simulcast on CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV2, and LOGO. Fans can also vote through Oct. 16 for The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s, with the final ranking revealed ahead of the ceremony during the Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show: "Back on Track" streaming on YouTube and Facebook.
R&B/Soul Song of the Year honors the song that defined the past year, from the lyrics to the melody to the voice coming through the speakers. This year's 10 nominees dominated streaming, conquered the charts, and resonated across the culture. Fans can cast their votes at: http://bet.com/soul-train-awards/rnb-soul-song-of-the-year.
New this year, Spotify's RNB X International Artist category spotlights artists pushing the genre beyond borders with new perspectives and sounds. Inspired by RNB X, Spotify's flagship R&B playlist, the category's seven nominees were selected based on cultural relevance, streaming performance, and overall impact on the genre. Fans can vote in the Spotify app, where they can stream the nominees, cast their votes, and share their pick with friends. Votes are subject to Spotify's terms and conditions.
The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s puts one question to fans: What's the greatest R&B song of the decade? From 64 songs at https://hub.bet.com/soul-train-awards/20-songs-voting, fans can vote once every 24 hours for the tracks that feel both timeless and of the moment, whether they pull from the past, push the genre forward, or both. Quiet sleepers and records with massive cultural impact are all in the running. The 20 songs with the most votes make the final list, ranked by vote count, and the countdown to No. 1 will be revealed during the Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show: "Back on Track," streaming on YouTube and Facebook.
"We're thrilled to put the vote in the fans' hands for the first time," said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, BET. "From the biggest songs of the year to the artists taking R&B global, these categories show how far the genre reaches right now, and we can't wait to see where the votes land."
Connie Orlando serves as executive producer of Soul Train Awards 2026 for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as executive producers.
Details of performers and honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2026 FAN-VOTED NOMINEES
R&B/Soul Song of the Year (Voted Exclusively on BET.com)
"Butterflies" - Brent Faiyaz
"I Just Might" - Bruno Mars
"It Depends" - Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller
"Who Knows" - Daniel Caesar
"Yukon" - Justin Bieber
"Folded" - Kehlani
"Is It a Crime" - Mariah the Scientist feat. Kali Uchis
"Man I Need" - Olivia Dean
"What You Need" - Tems
"Chanel" - Tyla
Spotify's RNB X International Artist (Voted Exclusively on Spotify)
Cleo Sol
FLO
kwn
Odeal
PARTYNEXTDOOR
Tems
Tiana Major9
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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 BET Media Group
The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), is the world's largest media company rooted in community, culture, and connection for the Black community. For over four decades, BET has served as a trusted home for Black audiences, amplifying authentic stories, elevating Black voices, and creating spaces where culture thrives and community comes together. Through a powerful portfolio of brands - including BET, BET Her, BET Studios, and VH1 - along with FAST channels such as BET Tyler Perry Comedy, BET Tyler Perry Drama, BET Comedy Movies, BET Cinema, BET Classics, BET Visionaries, BET Throwbacks, and BET Pluto, BET connects audiences across cable, digital, live events, studios, and global platforms. Together, these platforms deliver culturally resonant content that reflects the depth, creativity, and impact of the Black experience. For more information, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For additional announcements, visit paramountpressexpress.com/bet/.
About Jesse Collins Entertainment
Founded in 2012, Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full-service Emmy-winning production company that has played an integral role in producing many of television's most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE's award-winning and critically acclaimed television includes programming from its four divisions - specials, sports, scripted and unscripted. From the specials division, JCE has produced award shows including The Emmy Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, The 2021 and 2022 American Music Awards, The 2022 Golden Globes, BET Awards, SoulTrain Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF's An Evening of Stars and ABFF Honors; and specials including Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey, Grace For The World: Live from St. Peter's Square, A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop, CNN's Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom, Martin: The Reunion, John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Def Comedy Jam 25 and more. From the sports division, JCE has produced projects including Beyoncé Bowl at the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans NFL 2024 Christmas Game, The Super Bowl Halftime Show, The 95th Major League Baseball All-Star Game Pre-Game Show, The 2025 World Series Game 1 Anthem, NFL Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show starring Jack White and Netflix's Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party. From the scripted division, JCE has produced series and miniseries including Real Husbands of Hollywood, American Soul, The New Edition Story, and The Bobby Brown Story. From the unscripted division, JCE has produced series including Heart & Hustle: Houston, Tia Mowry: My Next Act, Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50, Cardi Tries, DJ Cassidy's Pass the Mic, Forward: The Future of Black Music, Hollywood Squares, Rhythm + Flow, Sunday Best, We Got Time Today, Yara Shahidi's Day Off, Face to Face with Becky G and Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. Emmy Award winner Jesse Collins is the Founder and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment and executive producer of all JCE programming. He is also an executive producer for the annual GRAMMY Awards and produced the 2021 Oscars. Emmy winner Dionne Harmon is President. Emmy nominee Jeannae Rouzan-Clay is Senior Vice President of Specials.
About Spotify
Since its launch in 2008, Spotify has revolutionized music listening. Its move into podcasting brought innovation and a new generation of listeners to the medium. In 2022, Spotify took the next leap, entering the fast-growing audiobook market - continuing to shape the future of audio.
Today, more listeners than ever can discover, manage and enjoy over 100 million tracks, 7 million podcast titles, and 700,000 audiobooks on platform. Spotify is the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service with 777 million users, including 300 million subscribers, in 184 markets.
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