BET opened a fan contest on Oct. 20 that puts one viewer’s version of the Soul Train Line into the 2026 Soul Train Awards broadcast and pays that winner $5,000. Entries are 30-second videos, and the deadline is Nov. 5, according to the BET release on Paramount Press Express.
How the Soul Train Line Contest Works
The contest is called “Soul Train Line: You’re Up!” Fans record a 30-second video of their own take on the Soul Train Line, a Black music and entertainment tradition, BET said. Friends and family can appear in the video. Entrants dance to Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”
To enter, a fan follows @BET and posts the video on TikTok, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #BETSoulTrainLine. The fan then submits the entry at the contest site, with a link to the social post. Each person can submit one video. The release points readers to the official contest rules for eligibility details. It does not name judges.
The grand prize winner receives $5,000 and appears in the Soul Train Awards broadcast. Nine more finalists receive $500 each. That adds up to $9,500 in cash for 10 winners, a calculation based on the prize figures in the release. The release lists two different web addresses for the entry form, bet.com/soul-train-line and bet.com/soul-train-awards/soul-train-line.
Where and When the Soul Train Awards Air
The show airs Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET. It is simulcast on CBS for the first time, along with BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo, BET said in its Sept. 3 announcement. Spotify and Toyota present the show. Spotify is the exclusive music streaming partner and Toyota is the exclusive automotive partner.
The ceremony is taped in Chicago, the city where Don Cornelius launched the original “Soul Train” more than 50 years ago. BET president Louis Carr said, “As a Chicago native, I’m proud to bring the SOUL TRAIN AWARDS back to the city where it all originated.”
Jesse Collins Entertainment produces the broadcast. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are executive producers, and Connie Orlando, executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy, is executive producer for BET. Harmon is the company’s president. Rouzan-Clay is its senior vice president of specials. The Sept. 3 release says performers, honorees and host details would follow in the coming weeks. The Oct. 5 nominee release does not name a host.
Fan Voting Closed before the Contest Opened
On Oct. 5, BET released the nominees for fan-voted categories. Fans chose the winners of R&B/Soul Song of the Year on BET.com and of Spotify’s RNB X International Artist category in the Spotify app. Voting ran through Oct. 16, four days before the video contest opened. Orlando said in that release, “We’re thrilled to put the vote in the fans’ hands for the first time.” She also said the categories show how far the genre reaches right now.
The R&B/Soul Song of the Year nominees are:
- “Butterflies” by Brent Faiyaz
- “I Just Might” by Bruno Mars
- “It Depends” by Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller
- “Who Knows” by Daniel Caesar
- “Yukon” by Justin Bieber
- “Folded” by Kehlani
- “Is It a Crime” by Mariah the Scientist featuring Kali Uchis
- “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean
- “What You Need” by Tems
- “Chanel” by Tyla
The Spotify international artist category lists Cleo Sol, FLO, kwn, Odeal, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tems and Tiana Major9. Tems appears in both categories. Counting each artist once, the two fan-voted categories carry 17 nominations for 16 different acts or pairings, a count based on the lists in the release.
The 20 Greatest R&B Songs Ballot
Fans also ranked “The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s.” The list is drawn from 64 songs, and fans could vote once every 24 hours. The top 20 is 31% of the 64 candidates, a calculation from the release figures. The countdown airs during the “Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show: ‘Back on Track’” on YouTube and Facebook.
Voting opened Oct. 5 and closed Oct. 16, a span of 12 calendar days. A fan who voted once every 24 hours could have cast at most about 12 ballots, a calculation that assumes the daily limit worked as the release describes it.
Why the Soul Train Line Matters to the Brand
Don Cornelius created “Soul Train” in 1971, and its original run ended in 2006 after 35 years, according to the Sept. 3 release. BET acquired the brand in 2016.
Joe Hadley, global head of music content and partnerships at Spotify, called the return “a significant moment for R&B and soul.” Jesse Collins said his company is honored to work alongside BET, Spotify and Toyota, and Toyota marketing communications vice president Dedra DeLilli said the company is extremely excited to serve as the exclusive automotive partner.
Key Dates for Entrants and Viewers
The release sets three dates fans can use. Oct. 20 is the day the contest opened. Nov. 5 is the entry deadline, which is 22 days between the deadline and the Nov. 27 broadcast, a calculation from the dates in the release. The Oct. 20 date to Nov. 5 is a 16-day window for fans to film and post.
BET lists press contacts Mercedes Smith, Autumn Griffin and Erica Knox, CBS contact Kate Fisher and Jesse Collins Entertainment contact Staci R. Collins Jackson for questions about the broadcast. The grand prize winner’s video is scheduled to air Nov. 27 on BET and CBS.
