There will be no Soul Train Awards or Hip-Hop Awards on BET for the foreseeable future.
BET CEO Scott Mills confirmed that the network is suspending both awards shows, citing a need to “reimagine the format.”
The suspension of the Soul Train and Hip-Hop Awards come at a fragile time for art and creativity as Tiny Desk producer Bobby “DJ Cuzzin B” Carter assured Tiny Desk fans that the series will go on, even as National Public Radio’s main benefactor, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced their closure.
Losing the Soul Train brand would be a devastating blow to Black music and Black culture. Same for the Hip-Hop Awards, the only such awards show for that genre.
We can only hope BET brings back both – sooner rather than later.
