BET and the City of Chicago announced Oct. 26 that the 2026 Soul Train Awards will be held at the Harris Theater, with Anthony Anderson hosting a broadcast that airs Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. Eastern on BET and CBS, BET said.
The Soul Train Awards Chicago partnership adds a city government to the show’s return. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is a named partner, and the stated goals are a stronger creative economy and more work for local artists. Neither BET nor the city attached a dollar figure to any of it.
What the Partnership Includes
Mayor Brandon Johnson said in the release that the return honors Chicago’s legacy and creates opportunities for local artists and entertainment professionals, supports small businesses and strengthens the city’s creative economy. Kenya K. Merritt, the department’s commissioner, said the partnership connects audiences with Chicago’s creative energy, talent and cultural experiences.
Louis Carr, BET’s president, called bringing the awards to his hometown a “full-circle moment.” Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy, is executive producer for the network. Jesse Collins Entertainment produces the show.
Why Chicago Matters to Soul Train
Don Cornelius created “Soul Train” in Chicago in 1971. The show ran 35 years and ended in 2006, and BET calls it the longest-running first-run, nationally syndicated program in television history. BET acquired the Soul Train brand in 2016. From the show’s start to this year’s broadcast is 55 years, and from the end of the original series it is 20, a calculation from BET’s dates. Anderson said when BET named him host on Oct. 1 that “Soul Train” is “a piece of our cultural history.” BET said Anderson previously hosted the BET Awards in 2015 and 2016, the NAACP Image Awards for eight consecutive years and the 75th Emmy Awards.
The Honoree, the Votes and the Contest
BET announced Oct. 22 that Chaka Khan, who was born in Chicago, will receive the Classic Soul Honor. Two categories are decided by fans: R&B/Soul Song of the Year, voted on BET.com, and a new Spotify R&B x International Artist award, voted in the Spotify app. Fans also ranked the 20 greatest R&B songs of the 2020s, which BET will count down during its red carpet show. A separate contest, “Soul Train Line: You’re Up!”, pays $5,000 to a grand-prize winner who also appears in the broadcast, and $500 each to nine finalists. That totals $9,500 across 10 winners, a calculation from the prize amounts.
What Happens Next
BET said performers and honorees will be announced in the coming weeks. The broadcast also airs on BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo.
