BET suspends Hip‑Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards indefinitely

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In a major shift, Black Entertainment Television (BET) has indefinitely suspended its two key award shows—the BET Hip‑Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards—on its linear television platform. The announcement was made in an interview with Billboard, where BET CEO Scott Mills confirmed that, whilst these shows won’t appear on BET’s cable channel for now, they are not permanently cancelled.

Mills emphasised that the decision reflects broader trends in media consumption, noting that the network is exploring digital-first formats for these franchises. “It’s less about them being gone forever and more about reimagining them for today’s changing media landscape”, he said. BET still plans to invest in cultural celebrations: It continues to air events such as the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Stellar Awards.

The move follows a steep decline in live television audiences across award shows. Nielsen data shows ratings for televised award ceremonies have fallen by more than thirty per cent since 2015, whilst the 2025 BET Awards saw a fifty per cent drop in viewership compared to the previous year. The BET Hip‑Hop Awards in 2024 had already scaled back significantly, staging a much smaller event at a Vegas nightclub with limited reach. Meanwhile, the Soul Train Awards failed to appear on the 2024 schedule, quietly disappearing without explanation.

For years, the BET Hip‑Hop Awards stood as a rare televised platform celebrating Hip‑Hop artists—from heavyweight producers to underground lyricists—whilst the Soul Train Awards honoured the legacy of Soul, R&B, Jazz, Gospel, and Hip-Hop culture dating back to 1987 under the influence of Don Cornelius.

Fans and industry observers are now left wondering how these storied ceremonies will take shape in the streaming era. As one Reddit commentator noted:

“Award shows seem to be falling off these days … I’m sure having the BET Awards is enough regardless”.

Ultimately, whilst the shows have gone dark on linear television for now, BET indicates that their legacy may yet live on—just in a different form.