Here’s Why the Soul Train and Hip Hop Awards Were Actually Shelved by BET

Back in 2001, Black Entertainment Television (BET) looked for ways to honor the achievements of Black entertainers. And on June 19 of that year, the network created the BET Awards. Hosting the event in Las Vegas, the BET Awards celebrated its 25th anniversary in June when Kevin Hart took the stage. Although shining a light on singers, filmmakers, and athletes, fans worried about the awards after the cancellation of both the BET Hip Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards. 

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With the network deciding to shelve the two award shows, fans wondered what the future looked like for the BET Awards. Although the awards just aired a few months ago, the CEO of BET, Scott Millis, decided to share some insight about why the decision was made. “It’s less about them being no longer and more about our team having to reimagine them for this changing media landscape that we find ourselves in.”  

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The Reason BET Decided To Cancel The Awards

While Millis didn’t share a timeframe on when the awards might return, he promised, “So for BET linear, we have suspended the Soul Train and Hip-Hop award shows. But we have a team that’s actively thinking about where those award shows might best live as the media climate continues to evolve.”

Wanting to embrace the future, the sudden shift from BET seemed to be a calculated move. Looking at reports from Nielsen, most award shows saw a 30% dip in viewership since a decade ago. And going back to the BET Awards in June, the ceremony only gained 50% of the viewers from 2024. 

Much like the entertainment industry, BET understood the importance of change. With the industry appearing to expand with each passing year, Millis wondered, “I think what we’re going to see are more people taking franchises and saying, ‘This might have started on linear television, but now I’m going to move it to another space. Do I move it to streaming? Or do I move it to another platform?’”

Although the awards may be on pause, fans can take comfort in knowing that BET remains committed to celebrating those who dare to dream and continue to achieve.

(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)