BET’s Awards Shift Displays Trade-Extensive Transformation
BET has confirmed that each the Soul Practice Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards have been suspended indefinitely. In a brand new interview with Billboard, BET CEO Scott Mills defined the community’s resolution, stating the awards are being “reimagined” for the present media local weather.
“So for BET linear, we have now suspended the Soul Practice and Hip-Hop award reveals,” Mills advised Billboard, noting that the awards are usually not completely canceled however could also be shifted to a unique platform sooner or later.
The announcement comes amid plummeting viewership for conventional TV broadcasts. Nielsen information reveals that awards present rankings have dropped greater than 30% since 2015, and BET has not been immune. Regardless of crucial reward, the 2025 BET Awards noticed a 50% decline in rankings from the earlier yr.
Viewership Collapse and Funds Constraints
Declining rankings are just one a part of the story. The BET Hip Hop Awards, which as soon as drew tens of millions of viewers for its viral cyphers and tributes, struggled to generate buzz in 2024. That yr’s present, scaled again and hosted at Drai’s Nightclub in Las Vegas, signaled main cost-cutting. In the meantime, the Soul Practice Awards, sometimes broadcast the weekend after Thanksgiving, quietly vanished in 2024 with out public rationalization.
Internally, BET faces mounting monetary stress. As a part of Paramount World, the community has been navigating company belt-tightening and strategic shifts. Critics have pointed to the channel’s pivot towards unscripted content material and heavy Tyler Perry programming as indicators of a cultural departure from its music roots.
Streaming Dominance and Format Evolution
BET’s transfer mirrors broader traits throughout the business. In accordance with Pew Analysis Heart, by 2024, 85% of Individuals aged 18–34 had been watching extra content material on platforms like YouTube and Twitch than cable TV. That shift is pressuring legacy networks to rethink content material distribution.
“We’re in a second the place we should meet audiences the place they’re,” Mills stated. Whereas he didn’t affirm whether or not the reveals will transfer to BET+ or one other streaming platform, inside sources recommend the community is exploring hybrid fashions, probably integrating dwell performances with interactive fan voting or short-form digital content material.
This wouldn’t be the primary hiatus for the Soul Practice Awards. In 2008, the present was shelved on account of manufacturing points and organizational modifications. It later returned revamped beneath BET’s steerage. That precedent presents hope for a revival—however with no timeline given, some worry this time is perhaps completely different.
Public Reactions: Disappointment, Frustration, and Memes
The information unfold quickly after a tweet from @RNB_RADAR went viral, racking up over 63,000 views inside hours. X (previously Twitter) customers voiced the whole lot from heartbreak to anger:
“Wait… I’m truly unhappy af rn… the hip hop awards was the whole lot to me!!!!” wrote @kre__.
“Simply as I suspected, BET has suspended the Soul Practice Music Awards for now… It’s unhappy to learn that this yr’s BET Awards skilled a 50% dip in rankings,” added @Coolness941.
However disappointment rapidly was broader cultural criticism:
“They’re killing our tradition,” stated @chasingjamal. “Politics impacts each crevice of our existence.”
“That community has not developed into something however the Tyler Perry community,” tweeted @_ItsCourtneyyyy, echoing long-running debates about BET’s programming route.
A number of customers tried to see the silver lining. @TheImperfectLeo wrote, “Scores matter, of us,” suggesting that the hiatus might result in reinvention. Nonetheless, others joked about who guilty, with memes referencing Nicki Minaj beefs, political conspiracies, and even blaming BET’s personal music division: “LMFAOOOOO @BETMusic,” wrote @naysianiccole.
Cultural Influence and the Way forward for Black Music Awards
The indefinite suspension of those two reveals considerably reduces the variety of main Black music honors nonetheless airing on nationwide tv. With the NAACP Picture Awards and BET Awards remaining, many really feel the Soul Practice and Hip Hop Awards stuffed a vital cultural area of interest by spotlighting R&B, soul, and hip-hop in ways in which mainstream ceremonies just like the Grammys usually overlook.
Some critics argue the choice displays a broader pattern of cultural erosion and lack of gatekeeping in Black music. Others recommend it underscores how fragmented music consumption has develop into within the digital age. The once-unifying affect of televised awards reveals is now diluted throughout algorithms, area of interest platforms, and streaming habits.
Nonetheless, all hope is probably not misplaced. Mills emphasised that the reveals aren’t completely canceled—simply paused. However as “indefinite” usually turns into code for quietly shelved initiatives, followers and business insiders alike stay skeptical.
What Comes Subsequent?
Trade insiders recommend that BET could quickly roll out a reimagined slate of digital-first occasions, probably tied to the BET+ streaming service or built-in with social platforms like YouTube and Instagram Dwell. If profitable, this pivot might sign a brand new period for music awards. On this future period, yet one more in tune with in the present day’s audiences. Nonetheless, with no concrete timelines or format bulletins, the destiny of those iconic celebrations stays unsure. Stakeholders from followers to artists and advertisers might be watching carefully to see whether or not this hiatus sparks innovation. Or just marks the tip of an period.
Conclusion
The indefinite suspension of the Soul Practice and BET Hip Hop Awards underscores a seismic shift in how leisure platforms interact with audiences. As linear TV loses floor to streaming and social media, legacy establishments like BET are beneath stress to modernize or face irrelevance. Whether or not these awards return in a brand new format or fade quietly into the previous, one factor is obvious: followers nonetheless crave genuine, culturally resonant areas to honor Black music. The problem now lies in whether or not BET—or one other platform—will rise to fulfill that demand in a approach that honors the legacy whereas embracing the longer term.
In the meantime, the followers on social media are reminiscing concerning the award reveals. Now, the followers are making ready for the brand new regular. Over the previous couple of a long time, the followers have gotten used to seeing these award reveals. For sensible causes, the community is suspending two of essentially the most iconic award reveals of the yr. Lately, social media turned an enormous element in these award reveals. The viewers grew used to sharing all of their moments from the reveals on the varied platforms.
Now, the viewers are left to query when, if ever, the award reveals will return.
