Baller Alert broke the information on Tuesday night (August 5) that BET has indefinitely suspended each the Soul Train Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards, two of probably the most outstanding occasions honoring Black music within the United States. The resolution, confirmed quietly by BET CEO Scott Mills, affords no clear clarification or timeline for his or her return.

“So for BET line, we have suspended the Soul Train and Hip Hop award shows,” Mills tells Billboard‘s Gail Mitchell.

The BET Hip Hop Awards, launched in 2006, have turn out to be a serious platform for each rising and established rap artists. Known for its standout cyphers and headline-making performances, the annual broadcast has featured appearances from artists similar to Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and Future. For many followers, the occasion served as an important celebration of hip-hop tradition and innovation.

The Soul Train Awards, which debuted in 1987, carried a legacy that prolonged again to Don Cornelius’ influential tv collection. The present turned a big stage for honoring R&B and soul artists, previous and current. Its manufacturing helped highlight rising expertise whereas preserving the traditions of Black music historical past.

BET’s resolution to shelve each packages arrives throughout a interval of transition within the leisure business. The community was offered earlier this yr by Paramount Global to a gaggle of Black-led traders, elevating expectations for a renewed deal with Black content material. Instead, the suspension of those two awards reveals has triggered concern amongst viewers and business figures concerning the community’s course.

No different nationally televised occasions focus completely on hip-hop and R&B, making the lack of these packages significantly impactful. For youthful artists, the reveals supplied uncommon publicity on a serious platform. For veterans, they offered public recognition and career-spanning tributes. The cancellation removes these alternatives from the media panorama.

BET has not indicated whether or not the awards will return in 2026 or past. As business consolidation and price range cuts proceed to reshape community programming, the absence of those occasions underscores the continuing pressure between cultural preservation and company priorities.

The silence surrounding their future has left many within the music neighborhood demanding solutions—and fearing that two of Black music’s most seen celebrations could also be gone for good.