Fans of content for the culture may have to say “goodbye” to the BET Hip Hop Awards and Soul Trail Awards, or at least, “see you later,” according to BET’s CEO Scott Mills.
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Mills announced the surprising news during an interview with Billboard. While discussing the network’s future, he explained the difficult work of reimagining mainstays, like two beloved award shows. This isn’t an official end forever, but maybe the end of an era as the ceremonies are suspended indefinitely.
“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,” Mills reassured.
“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?’” he asked.
The BET Hip Hop Awards was just shy of a 20th anniversary next year and the Soul Train Awards have been an institution nearly twice as long, since 1987. In addition to the BET Awards, which just celebrated a 25th year, BET will “still have the NAACP Image Awards and the Stellar Awards,” Mills added.
Although the temporary loss of these honors for Black music and culture is a disappointment, these aren’t the things up in the air. According to Variety, parent company Paramount Global put BET up for sale, with Mills and a private equity firm as potential buyers for $1.6 to $1.7 billion. Media moguls like Tyler Perry and Byron Allen also expressed interest in acquiring the network.
Fans may really see both renewed versions of the Soul Train Awards and BET Hip Hop Awards as other former favorites have recently spun the block. College Hill returned with the College Hill: Celebrity Edition. Season 3 premiered on BET+ June 20 with Tamar Braxton, Saucy Santana, Nick Young, Angela White (aka Blac Chyna), Claudia Jordan, and Karlous Miller attending Xavier University in New Orleans.
Another hit, 106 & Park, also got overhauled to return as 106 & Sports, expected to premiere later this year.
“106 & Sports is a collaboration with Spring Hill Entertainment, and everybody is working feverishly to get it ready to launch in the fall. We’re going to start with a weekly show at that point with lots of wonderful guests. It will apply the best elements of the 106 & Park structure and format to the sports world,” Mills revealed to Billboard.
