BET has indefinitely canceled both the Soul Train Awards and The BET Hip-Hop Awards, two iconic celebrations that have long honored and elevated black music and culture.

BET CANCELS THE 2025 HIP-HOP AND SOUL TRAIN AWARDS

On August 5, the decision was confirmed by BET Ceo Scott Mills without a clear explanation or a timeline for their return, leaving artists, fans, and industry insiders feeling the weight of the loss.

“I would say that 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. 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?”

Mills continued explaining to Billboard,

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. They aren’t gone. And we also still have the NAACP Image Awards and the Stellar Awards.

The major change comes amid a dramatic decline in live TV ratings. According to Newsbreak, Nielsen reports show that award shows have lost more than 30% of viewers since 2015.

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The 2025 BET Awards, despite critical acclaim, experienced a 50% drop in ratings compared to the previous year.

We’ll be watching closely for more updates!