The Soul Train Awards Nominees are in, and Fans Decide the Winners in the Two NEW Categories!

ET today announced the Soul Train Awards 2026 nominees, kicking off fan voting for the reimagined show. For the first time, fans will have a say in who takes home the trophies, with two new fan-voted categories: R&B/Soul Song of the Year, with voting on BET.com and Spotify’s RNB X International Artist, with voting in the Spotify app.

Voting is open now through Oct. 16, and fans can see who takes home the trophies Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET, with a simulcast on CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV2, and LOGO. Fans can also vote through Oct. 16 for The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s, with the final ranking revealed ahead of the ceremony during the Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show: “Back on Track” streaming on YouTube and Facebook.

R&B/Soul Song of the Year honors the song that defined the past year, from the lyrics to the melody to the voice coming through the speakers. This year’s 10 nominees dominated streaming, conquered the charts, and resonated across the culture. Fans can cast their votes at: http://bet.com/soul-train-awards/rnb-soul-song-of-the-year. 

New this year, Spotify’s RNB X International Artist category spotlights artists pushing the genre beyond borders with new perspectives and sounds. Inspired by RNB X, Spotify’s flagship R&B playlist, the category’s seven nominees were selected based on cultural relevance, streaming performance, and overall impact on the genre. Fans can vote in the Spotify app, where they can stream the nominees, cast their votes, and share their pick with friends. Votes are subject to Spotify’s terms and conditions. 

The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s puts one question to fans: What’s the greatest R&B song of the decade? From 64 songs at https://hub.bet.com/soul-train-awards/20-songs-voting, fans can vote once every 24 hours for the tracks that feel both timeless and of the moment, whether they pull from the past, push the genre forward, or both. Quiet sleepers and records with massive cultural impact are all in the running. The 20 songs with the most votes make the final list, ranked by vote count, and the countdown to No. 1 will be revealed during the Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Show: “Back on Track,” streaming on YouTube and Facebook.

“We’re thrilled to put the vote in the fans’ hands for the first time,” said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, BET. “From the biggest songs of the year to the artists taking R&B global, these categories show how far the genre reaches right now, and we can’t wait to see where the votes land.”

Connie Orlando serves as executive producer of Soul Train Awards 2026 for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as executive producers.

Details of performers and honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.

SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2026 FAN-VOTED NOMINEES

R&B/Soul Song of the Year (Voted Exclusively on BET.com)

“Butterflies” — Brent Faiyaz

“I Just Might” — Bruno Mars

“It Depends” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller

“Who Knows” — Daniel Caesar

“Yukon” — Justin Bieber

“Folded” — Kehlani

“Is It a Crime” — Mariah the Scientist feat. Kali Uchis

“Man I Need” — Olivia Dean

“What You Need” — Tems

“Chanel” — Tyla

Spotify’s RNB X International Artist (Voted Exclusively on Spotify)

Cleo Sol

FLO

kwn

Odeal

PARTYNEXTDOOR

Tems

Tiana Major9