BET is putting its annual Soul Train Awards and Hip Hop Awards on pause.
With the way in which people consume media now firmly rooted in social media and streaming platforms, the cable network has decided to rethink how it delivers the celebrations.
BET CEO Scott Mills told Billboard: “We have suspended the Soul Train and Hip-Hop award shows.”
He explained: “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?’”
The decision comes amid broader shifts in how audiences engage with entertainment. Traditional cable viewership continues to decline, and networks are increasingly pivoting toward digital-first strategies. Mills acknowledged that ratings for the shows had dipped but emphasised that the quality of the productions remained high.
“Viewership was down. However, the cable ecosystem is smaller today than it was a year ago. That’s just the reality of it.
“It was an extraordinary show. And honestly, I attribute the viewership declines less to the declines in the cable ecosystem and more to the fact that we moved the night of the show.”
The Soul Train Awards and Hip Hop Awards - which celebrate excellence in Black culture - will aim to find a way to continue appealing to younger generations.
Mills insisted: “We’re not walking away from these brands.
"We’re just stepping back to make sure they evolve in a way that reflects how people live and connect today.”
The flagship BET Awards are still very much going ahead in 2026.
This year's edition saw Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Doechii come away with prizes.
