HOSTED BY ERYKAH BADU, KENNY “BABYFACE” EDMONDS RECEIVED THE LEGEND AWARD AND JILL SCOTT HONORED WITH THE FIRST EVER LADY OF SOUL AWARD
SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 celebrated the greatest legends of soul music alongside today’s brightest new stars at the unforgettable show, which aired on CENTRIC and BET November 29, 2015. The evening was the hippest trip led by the illest chick, Erykah Badu, who opened the night by performing a medley of her memorable hits including “Danger,” “On & On,” and “Love of My Life.”
The Weeknd led the pack of winners with Best R&B/Soul Male Artist and Album of the Year while Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars also took home two awards for Video of the Year and Song of the Year for “Uptown Funk.” Artists were honored in 12 different categories and additional winners included Jidenna (Best New Artist), Kendrick Lamar (Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year), Tyrese (Centric Certified Award), and more. The full list of winners is below.
During the star-studded broadcast L.A. Reid presented Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds with the Legend Award. After accepting the accolade, the celebrated producer and R&B legend performed some of his classics with Brandy, Fantasia, surprise guest Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men and Tevin Campbell. Jill Scott was later presented with the first-ever Lady of Soul Award with a special tribute video from industry’s top executives and artists such as Whoopi Goldberg, Usher and more speaking to Scott’s energy and creativity. Scott blew the crowd away with a selection of her most beloved hits including “Back Together,” “Long Walk,” “It’s Love,” “Golden,” “Cross My Mind,” and “Whatever.” Additional singers that took the stage were Tyrese, Jeremih, Cameo, Lion Babe, Jazmine Sullivan, Erica Campbell, V. Bozeman, Tasha Cobbs and After 7. R&B favorite R. Kelly closed out the show with some of his hottest tracks including “Your Body’s Callin’,” “When A Woman’s Fed Up,” “Ignition,” “Mind’s Tellin’ Me,” “Step In…” and his brand new single “Backyard Party,” throwing his own dance party on stage to celebrate.
Alongside all the amazing performances, Erykah Badu, Chrisette Michele, K-Ci, Lalah Hathaway and Eddie Levert appeared in the first-ever Soul Train Soul Cypher.
SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 WINNERS
Best New Artist – Jidenna
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist – The Weeknd
Centric Certified Award – Tyrese
Video of the Year – Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Best Gospel and/or Inspirational Song – Lecrae – “All I Need Is You”
Album of the Year – The Weeknd – “Beauty Behind the Madness”
Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year – Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist – Jill Scott
Song of the Year – Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award – “Glory” (From the Motion Picture “Selma”) – Written By: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, John Roger Stephens and Che Smith (Common & John Legend)
Best Dance Performance – Silento – Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)
Best Collaboration – Omarion Ft. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko – “Post To Be”
The SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Executive Producers of the network telecast are as follows: Debra Lee, Stephen Hill, Connie Orlando and Lynne Harris Taylor from BET; and Jesse Collins from Jesse Collins Entertainment. Erykah also serves as Associate Producer.
For show information, please visit BET.com/SoulTrain, the official site for SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015. Join the conversation on social by using hashtag #SoulTrainAwards.
About CENTRIC
Centric is the only multi-platform lifestyle brand designed to boldly celebrate the diverse and beautiful world of Black women. A 24-hour music and entertainment channel, Centric has its finger on the pulse of an ever-changing beat and delivers compelling content that reflects, inspires and addresses the unique perspectives of Black women.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: 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 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
About Jesse Collins Entertainment
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of Real Husbands of Hollywood (now going into its 4th season) and will also produce the 2015 Soul Train Awards for CENTRIC. He has worked with a myriad of superstar talent including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey. Go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information.
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).