2026 BET Soul Train Awards: Chicago Brings the Style, the Stars and the Soul

Chicago understood the assignment. The stars, the style and the soul came together November 5 as the city welcomed the 2026 BET Soul Train Awards. The ceremony taped at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, with a purple carpet welcoming guests.

Now, the countdown moves from Chicago to your television. The 2026 BET Soul Train Awards air Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS, bringing a celebration of R&B, soul and Black musical creativity into homes across the country. For DELUX readers watching in St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago, that means 7 p.m. Central.

Get the group chat ready. This one comes with history.

Chicago Gives Soul Train a Homecoming

There is something special about celebrating a cultural institution in the city where its story began.

Chicago is the birthplace of the original Soul Train, the groundbreaking television platform launched by Don Cornelius. While the franchise’s roots run deep in the city, 2026 marks the first time Chicago has hosted the Soul Train Awards ceremony. Since the awards began in 1987, previous host cities have included Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York and Las Vegas.

That distinction gives this year’s celebration its emotional center. The awards are arriving in a place already woven into the franchise’s identity.

For generations, Soul Train offered a stage for Black artists and a showcase for dancers whose moves and personal style became part of the show’s signature. Its influence extended beyond the performances, helping audiences discover new music while celebrating the creativity surrounding it.

A Chicago celebration brings that relationship between music, movement and self-expression into focus.

Style Is Part of the Soul Train Story

The arrival photos offer an opening look at the evening, but fashion belongs in the larger Soul Train conversation, too.

The original show made its dancers a defining part of the experience. Their individuality helped create a visual identity that remains connected to the franchise today, alongside its music and famous dance line.

That is the lens for this year’s arrivals: personal expression sharing the spotlight with musical achievement. For DELUX, the appeal is in that connection—how an evening honoring sound also makes room for style, personality and cultural pride.

As the November 27 broadcast approaches, the arrivals provide a first look at a celebration with plenty of legacy behind it.

Anthony Anderson Hosts the 2026 BET Soul Train Awards

Anthony Anderson takes on hosting duties for this year’s show, bringing experience from some of television’s major celebrations of Black entertainment.

BET’s announcement highlights his previous turns hosting the BET Awards in 2015 and 2016, along with eight consecutive years hosting the NAACP Image Awards. This year, he leads a Soul Train celebration built around performances, tributes and honors.

The setting gives his assignment a clear backdrop: celebrate the artists who helped establish the sound while welcoming the voices moving it forward.

Chaka Khan, Durand Bernarr and Elmiene Represent Generations of Soul

The announced honorees connect different chapters of R&B. BET lists Chaka Khan as its Classic Soul honoree, Durand Bernarr as its Soul Personified honoree and Elmiene as its New Soul honoree.

Bernarr’s involvement also extends beyond receiving an honor. BET announced him as a performer and host of the digital red carpet show, placing him at the center of both the celebration and its arrival coverage.

Together, those honors give viewers a way to appreciate the breadth of soul music: the voices that established its foundations, the artists expanding its possibilities and the emerging talent finding its place.

Fans Help Shape This Year’s Celebration

The 2026 edition also introduced two new fan-voted categories: R&B/Soul Song of the Year and Spotify’s RNB X International Artist.

Voting for those categories closed October 16. The international artist nominees include Tems, FLO, Odeal, Cleo Sol, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tiana Major9 and kwn—a lineup reflecting R&B’s reach across borders.

BET also announced a fan-ranked countdown of the 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s for its digital red carpet show, Back on Track, streaming on YouTube and Facebook. Consider it another reason to have your own favorites ready for discussion.

How to Watch the 2026 BET Soul Train Awards

The 2026 BET Soul Train Awards air Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT—7 p.m. Central—on BET and CBS. This year marks the awards’ first CBS simulcast, adding a new broadcast home to the celebration. https://hub.bet.com/soul-train-awards

Chicago has hosted the celebration. Next comes the chance for audiences everywhere to tune in, turn it up and spend an evening with the music.

Follow DELUX Magazine for more music, entertainment, style and culture coverage, and join the conversation: Which Soul Train honoree are you most excited to celebrate?