Soul Train Awards 2026: Fans Pick R&B/Soul Song of the Year for the First Time, Vote by Oct. 16

Written By Kathia Woods

The Soul Train Awards are giving the people the mic. For the first time, fans will choose the winner of R&B/Soul Song of the Year, and voting closes Thursday, Oct. 16.

BET announced the fan-voted nominees on Oct. 5, ahead of the ceremony on Friday, Nov. 27, in Chicago. Anthony Anderson hosts, and the show airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET, with simulcasts on CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo.

R&B/Soul Song of the Year nominees

  • “Butterflies,” Brent Faiyaz

  • “I Just Might,” Bruno Mars

  • “It Depends,” Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller

  • “Who Knows,” Daniel Caesar

  • “Yukon,” Justin Bieber

  • “Folded,” Kehlani

  • “Is It a Crime,” Mariah the Scientist featuring Kali Uchis

  • “Man I Need,” Olivia Dean

  • “What You Need,” Tems

  • “Chanel,” Tyla

A new global category. The RNB X International Artist award, with Spotify as sponsor, recognizes R&B voices from beyond the U.S. The nominees are Cleo Sol, FLO, kwn, Odeal, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tems and Tiana Major9. Voting for this one happens only in the Spotify app. Tems is the only artist nominated in both fan-voted categories, which makes her one to watch.

The 20 Greatest R&B Songs of the 2020s. Fans can also rank 64 songs from this decade, voting once every 24 hours. The top 20 will be revealed during the Back on Track red carpet show, streaming live on YouTube and Facebook on Nov. 27.

Click here to vote: https://hub.bet.com/soul-train-awards/rnb-soul-song-of-the-year

Kathia Woods
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