The award show featured spectacular performances by Legend Award honoree Toni Braxton, Lady of Soul honoree SWV and a Powerful Soul Cypher with Faith Evans, Fantasia, Bilal and Mali Music
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET PRESENTS: 2017 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS celebrated the best in Soul, R&B and Hip-Hop by featuring both returning legends and breakout stars with unrivaled musical moments and show-stopping performances. The awards show, which aired Sunday, November 26th, 2017 at 8pm ET on BET and BET HER, was again hosted by the otherworldly Godmother of Soul, Erykah Badu, who also brought her creative forces to the show as writer and producer.
Bruno Mars led the night’s winners dominating in top categories including Best R&B/Soul Male Artist, Video of the Year, Album/Mixtape of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Dance Performance. SZA followed with two awards, Best New Artist and Best R&B/Soul Female Artist. Artists were honored across 12 different categories and additional winners included Cardi B for Rhythm & Bars Award for “Bodak Yellow,” Bell Biv Devoe and Ledisi (Soul Train Certified Award), Lecrae (Best Gospel/Inspirational Award), Solange “Cranes in the Sky” (The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award) and DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller “Wild Thoughts” (Best Collaboration).
The BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards were action-packed from start to finish, with third annual Lady of Soul honorees SWV getting the party started with a medley of their top hits such as, “I’m So Into You,” and “Weak.” The trio were joined by Method Man and U-God for their final song, “Anything,” getting the entire crowd out of their seats and singing along, including newcomer Kehlani. Fearless and funkadelic host Erykah Badu then took to the stage and opened with an impactful statement by taking a knee before the crowd. Her poignant, yet laugh-out-loud, monologue focused on current events and included everything from faux Trump tweets to the changing sound of love is love. Toni Braxton watched delightedly from her seat as Anthony Anderson guided the crowd through a tribute medley by Ro James performing, “Seven Whole Days,” Jessie J. performing, “You Mean the World to Me,” and Luke James performing, “Unbreak My Heart.” The incomparable multi-platinum, multi-GRAMMY award-winning artist took the stage to remind everyone just how legendary she before graciously accepting the coveted Legend Award accompanied by a standing ovation. Braxton brought down the house, performing classics including, “Love Shoulda Brought You Home,” “You’re Making Me High,” and “He Wasn’t Man Enough for Me.” As the show neared its end, Kirk Franklin led an inspirational performance alongside MAJOR., Le’Andria Johnson, Daniel Caeser and Ledisi.
In addition to electrifying performances, the awards show unveiled a powerful “Soul Cypher,” for the third year, with Badu holding court at the DJ while Faith Evans, Fantasia, Bilal and Mali Music brought their powerhouse vocals.
SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2017 WINNERS
- Best New Artist – SZA
- Best R&B/Soul Male Artist – Bruno Mars
- Soul Train Certified Award – Bell Biv Devoe and Ledisi
- Video of the Year – Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
- Best Gospel/Inspirational Award – Lecrae
- Album/Mixtape of the Year – Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
- Rhythm & Bars Award (Formerly Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year) – Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow”
- Best R&B/Soul Female Artist – SZA
- Song of the Year – Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”
- The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award – “Cranes in the Sky” – Written By: Troy L. John, Solange Knowles, Raphael Saadiq (Solange)
- Best Dance Performance – Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
- Best Collaboration – DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Executive Producers of the network telecast are as follows: Debra Lee and Connie Orlando from BET, and Jesse Collins from Jesse Collins Entertainment.
For show information, please visit BET.com/SoulTrain, the official site for BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
About Soul Train Holdings
SOUL TRAIN HOLDINGS, LLC was formed in May 2008 and is owned by InterMedia Partners and a partnership between Magic Johnson Enterprises and Ron Burkle's investment firm, The Yucaipa Companies. The iconic franchise and catalog consists of more than 1,100 episodes and 40 specials from Don Cornelius Productions, Inc. Soul Train is the longest running, first-run, nationally syndicated music program in television history. During its 35-year run, the show featured lasting innovations such as the Soul Train line and the legendary sign off “Love, Peace and Soul.” At the heart of the show was Don Cornelius, the dancers and influential artists such as James Brown, Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Prince, Run D.M.C. and Destiny’s Child.
About the Orleans Arena
The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation’s leading multi-purpose sports and entertainment facilities and the 2014 recipient of the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. In addition, the Orleans Arena is one of only a handful of arenas in the United States to achieve LEED Gold Certification and is part of the largest company in Nevada to achieve SHARP Certification for commitments to safe venue operations. According to Venues Today magazine, the Orleans Arena, which hosts more than 200 events each year, consistently ranks in the Top 10 for ticket sales in the United States and internationally among venues of similar size. These events include nationally touring concerts, NCAA basketball conference tournaments, family shows, motorsports and other unique events. For more information, call 702-365-7469 or visit www.OrleansArena.com. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena).
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