Anthony Anderson is stepping back onto the BET stage as host of the returning Soul Train Awards. After a three-year hiatus, the iconic celebration of R&B, soul and Black music culture returns Friday, November 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS, marking the franchise’s first CBS broadcast. The ceremony will be taped in Chicago, where Don Cornelius launched Soul Train in 1971.
Anderson brings plenty of awards-show experience to the return. He previously hosted the BET Awards in 2015 and 2016, the NAACP Image Awards for eight consecutive years, and the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.
In announcing Anderson, BET highlighted his connection to the network and his familiarity with celebrating Black music and culture. Anderson also said he was particularly excited to host the show in Chicago, calling Soul Train “a piece of our cultural history.
The 2026 ceremony will celebrate artists who helped shape R&B and soul alongside a new generation carrying those sounds forward. Performers and honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
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