( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) The 2019 Soul Train Awards Brought The Soul To Las Vegas Honoring Yolanda Adams and Celebrated Legend Award Recipients Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
BET Presents: 2019 Soul Train Awards celebrated the best and brightest stars across R&B, Gospel, Adult Urban Contemporary and Soul by highlighting both living legends and breakout stars with unrivaled musical moments and show-stopping performances. This year marks an iconic year for The Soul Train Awards which aired live on November 17, 2019, at 8pm ET on BET and BET HER from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Iconic best friend duo Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold, returned for the second year, making an incredible entrance with a show-stopping opening musical compilation filled with comedy, nostalgia, and soul.
Chris Brown ft. Drake led the pack as the evening’s most awarded artists, dominating in three categories including Song of the Year, Best Dance Performance and Best Collaboration Performance. Lizzo followed closely claiming Video of the Year for “Juice” and Album/Mixtape of the Year for “Cuz I Love You”. Cardi B solidifies her status as a hip-hop powerhouse receiving the Rhythm & Bars (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year) for “Money,” H.E.R is recognized for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Khalid received the honor of Best R&B/Soul Male Artist. Beyonce is honored with one of the most coveted awards of the night, the Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award, for her songwriting and vocals for “Brown Skin Girl,” a collaboration with Saint Jhn and WizKid, which has received tremendous praise and also marks her daughter Blue Ivy Carter’s first songwriting credit.
Honoring artists across 12 categories, the BET PRESENTS: 2019 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS also recognized Summer Walker who took home her first award (Best New Artist), Trevor Jackson (Soul Train Certified) and Kirk Franklin (Best Gospel/Inspirational Award) for their special contributions to the genre.
The BET PRESENTS: 2019 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS was a night filled with moving performances, appearances, and special moments. Kicking off with a surprise appearance by Pose star, MJ Rodriguez, joining hosts Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold on stage during the opening number. Later, K. Michelle brought a modern take to a beloved classic, performing her rendition of New Edition’s “Rain.” Legendary songwriting duo, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis were honored with a two-part tribute at the show, highlighting the diversity and range of their top-hits from dance songs to ballads, with performances by Boyz II Men and Stokely. In one of the hottest collaborations of the year, Wale and Jeremih performed “On Chill” with a special appearance by Kelly Price and Tiana Major9 and Earthgang gave a powerful spoken-word piece on the importance of unity and love, during their performance of the hit “Collide,” bringing the house to its feet. Additional performers include R&B singers TeaMarr, SiR, Luke Ro, Pink Sweat$, Sounds of Blackness and Queen Naijia bringing passion and energy to the stage. Finally, after graciously accepting the Lady of Soul Award, Yolanda Adams brought down the house with a passionate compilation of her chart-topping hits, bringing the Orleans Arena to its feet.
Erykah Badu returned to celebrate the five year anniversary of the annual “Soul Cypher,” with heart-pounding beats showcasing the vocals of Anthony Hamilton, Carl Thomas, Keyshia Cole, Le’Andria Johnson, and Robert Glasper that wowed the crowd.
The full winners list for BET PRESENTS: 2019 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS is below.
2019 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS WINNERS
Best New Artist – Summer Walker
Soul Train Certified Award – Trevor Jackson
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist – Khalid
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist – H.E.R
Video of the Year – Lizzo – “Juice”
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award – Kirk Franklin
Album/Mixtape of the Year – Lizzo – “Cuz I Love You”
Rhythm & Bars Award (Formerly Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year) – Cardi B – “Money”
Song of the Year – Chris Brown ft. Drake – “No Guidance”
The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award – “Brown Skin Girl” – Written by: Beyoncé Knowles, Carlos St. John, Adio Marchant, Shawn Carter, Stacy Barthe, Anathi Mnyango, Michael Uzowuru, Ayodeji Balogun, Richard Isong & Blue Ivy Carter
Best Dance Performance – Chris Brown ft. Drake – “No Guidance”
Best Collaboration Performance – Chris Brown ft. Drake – “No Guidance”
BET Presents: 2019 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS is executive produced by Connie Orlando, Executive Vice-President, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET along with Jesse Collins and Jeannae Rouzan–Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Check out our interviews and photos from our favorites on the velvet carpet at the 2019 Soul Train Awards:
