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BET Hip Hop Awards & Soul Train Paused?! The Culture’s Not Cancelled—But What’s Really Going On?

Think the BET Hip Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards got canceled for good? Think again. Discover why they’re “on pause,” what’s next for the culture, and how AI Tupac might be involved.

The culture ain't canceled – it's just on vacation.


That’s the vibe over at BET headquarters, where the 2025 BET Hip Hop Awards and the iconic Soul Train Awards have officially been benched. Yes, the ceremonies that gave us unforgettable moments—from Cardi B’s mic drop to Erykah Badu’s forever flyness—are not happening this year. But before you clutch your pearls or tweet #SaveTheCulture, let’s break it down.


“Linear TV”? More Like “Last Season's Drip”

BET’s CEO, Scott Mills, recently confirmed what many of us feared: the network is hitting pause on its major televised music award shows. Why? Because linear TV (a.k.a. traditional cable) is slowly going the way of Blockbuster, and the ratings don’t lie. The 2025 BET Awards reportedly dropped 50% in viewership compared to 2024. That’s not a dip—that’s a full-blown moon crater.



Hip Hop Honors, but Make It Digital?

Let’s be clear: the BET Hip Hop Awards aren’t dead. They’re just being… “reimagined.” BET says it’s looking at “new formats,” “new platforms,” and “new ways to reach the culture.” Translation? Expect Instagram collabs, Twitch cyphers, and TikTok acceptance speeches by 2026.


For the uninitiated, the Hip Hop Awards have always been a chaotic-good celebration of bars, beefs, and bomb drip. The 2024 show in Vegas featured Megan Thee Stallion leading the nominations and Kendrick Lamar sweeping the wins. If that was the swan song, it was a symphony.


The Soul Train Has Left the Station… for Now

And what about the Soul Train Awards, you ask? That train has been real quiet lately. No big farewell, no dramatic send-off. Just a slow, silent fade from the calendar. This ceremony, once a cornerstone of Black excellence in music, gave us moments of pure soul—from Bruno Mars serenades to Toni Braxton’s diva returns.


BET didn’t give details, but let’s just say if Don Cornelius were here, he’d probably be saying, “Peace, Love & Streaming Platforms.”


Here's the silver lining: BET isn’t abandoning the culture—it’s evolving with it. The world of awards shows is changing faster than Busta Rhymes' verse on “Look at Me Now.” Viewers want on-demand content, social engagement, and less scripted nonsense.

If BET can adapt, there’s hope we’ll see the Soul Train Cypher on YouTube or a Metaverse Red Carpet hosted by Snoop and AI Tupac. (Okay, maybe not that last one… or maybe definitely that last one?) Stay tuned for updates and more in-depth coverage of your favorite celebrities and entertainment news! Create a free membership account with us today!


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TL;DR (Too Legendary; Didn't Read)

  • BET Hip Hop Awards 2025 – suspended, not canceled. Will be “reimagined” off TV.

  • Soul Train Awards – also on indefinite pause.

  • Reason – Ratings slump + BET pivoting away from traditional TV.

  • Hope? – Yes! They may return in streaming/digital formats.


References (Yes, Even Fun Has Footnotes)

  1. The Grio – BET CEO announces indefinite pause of awards shows: https://thegrio.com/2025/08/06/bet-ceo-announces-an-indefinite-pause-of-the-soul-train-and-hip-hop-awards-on-tv

  2. Okayplayer – Soul Train and Hip Hop Awards suspended: https://www.okayplayer.com/bet-soul-train-awards-cancelled

  3. Reddit – Discussion on BET’s recent announcement: https://www.reddit.com/r/hiphopheads/comments/1mjajwp/bet_suspends_soul_train_hip_hop_awards

  4. Wikipedia – 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_BET_Hip_Hop_Awards

  5. People – 2025 BET Awards highs and lows: https://people.com/bet-awards-2025-best-and-worst-moments-11751279

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