Fan voting for the 2026 Soul Train Awards closes Oct. 16, three days from now. Fans pick the winners of two categories for the first time in the show’s history, and they also rank a list of the 20 greatest R&B songs of the 2020s.
BET opened the ballots with its nominee announcement on Oct. 5. The ceremony airs Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on BET and, for the first time, on CBS.
What Fans Can Vote on in the Soul Train Awards
Two categories are new this year, and fans alone decide both. The first is R&B/Soul Song of the Year, which fans vote on exclusively at BET.com. The second is Spotify’s RNB X International Artist, which fans vote on exclusively inside the Spotify app.
The song category has 10 nominees. They 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 and “Chanel” by Tyla.
The international category has seven nominees: Cleo Sol, FLO, kwn, Odeal, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tems and Tiana Major9. BET said the category takes its name from Spotify’s flagship R&B playlist, RNB X, and that the nominees were chosen for cultural relevance, streaming performance and impact on the genre. Fans can stream the nominees, vote and share their picks in the app, and Spotify’s terms and conditions apply to the votes.
A third ballot is a ranking, not an award. Fans choose from 64 songs for “The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s,” and each fan can vote once every 24 hours. The 20 songs with the most votes make the final list, ordered by vote count.
BET Executive Vice President of Specials, Music Programming and Music Strategy Connie Orlando said, “We’re thrilled to put the vote in the fans’ hands for the first time,” according to the Oct. 5 release. Orlando is also an executive producer of the show.
How the Ranking Ballot Works by the Numbers
The 20-song list has a built-in cutoff. Of 64 songs on the ballot, 20 make the list. That is 31% of the field, or roughly one slot for every three songs. A song needs to finish in the top third of fan votes to appear at all.
The once-every-24-hours rule sets a ceiling on any one fan’s influence. Voting began with the Oct. 5 announcement and ends Oct. 16. That is 12 calendar days, counting both Oct. 5 and Oct. 16. A fan who voted every day could cast at most 12 ballots in the ranking. The release does not say how many songs a fan can choose per ballot.
The two award categories carry different odds. A nominee in R&B/Soul Song of the Year competes against nine other songs, so an even split of votes would give each song 10%. In the international category, an even split among seven nominees would give each 14%. Neither category has a panel or a weighted vote described in the release. The winner in each case is the nominee fans choose. BET’s hub page lists the Nov. 27 date and carries the voting buttons for the song category and the 20-song list.
Why Tems is the Name to Watch in Both Fan Categories
The two nominee lists share exactly one name. Tems appears as a nominee for “What You Need” in the song category and as an artist in the international category. No other act appears in both. With one act in both fields, 18 different artists are nominated across the two awards.
Each ballot lives on a different platform, so Tems’ fans have to go to two places. Votes for the song category go through BET.com. Votes for the international category go through the Spotify app. A fan who wants to back her in both has to complete two separate steps before Oct. 16.
The ranking carries its own reveal. The countdown to No. 1 on the 20-song list will play during the Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show, titled “Back on Track,” which streams on YouTube and Facebook, according to the release.
What the Soul Train Awards Brand Means for the 2026 Show
BET has not named performers or honorees yet. In its Sept. 3 announcement, the network said those details would come “in the coming weeks” and described a “bold new format” that pairs honorees who shaped the sound with artists carrying it forward.
The show tapes in Chicago, where Don Cornelius launched the original “Soul Train” more than 50 years ago, according to the release. “Soul Train” debuted in 1971 and aired its final episode in 2006 after a 35-year run. BET acquired the brand in 2016. This year’s ceremony will be the first one on CBS, and it will also air on BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo.
Spotify and Toyota are the presenting sponsors. Spotify is the exclusive music streaming partner, and Toyota is the exclusive automotive partner. Jesse Collins Entertainment returns as the production company. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay are executive producers alongside Orlando.
Spotify’s Global Head of Music Content and Partnerships, Joe Hadley, said in the Sept. 3 release, “It’s a significant moment for R&B and soul.” Spotify’s role extends from sponsorship into the ballot itself, because the international category is voted on only in its app.
Voting closes Oct. 16. That leaves 42 days between the end of fan voting and the Nov. 27 broadcast, from the 15 remaining days in October plus 27 days in November.
