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#SoulTrainAwards (Behind-The-Scenes): Keyshia Cole’s Vocals Show Up + Has Been Actress + More

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Erykah Badu

This past Sunday, Soul Train Awards took place in Las Vegas, at the Orleans Arena. Guhl, I had the privilege to attend.

The red carpet was full of celebs such as Bobby Jones Gospel (can’t say Bobby Jones w/o saying Gospel), R&B group 112, The Braxton Family, Method Man, Nicci Gilbert, Le Andria Johnson, and many more were in attendance.

Most were friendly (minus an old has been actress who was on a reality show and no one liked her). I mean, if I hadn’t been booked in a billion years, I most definitely would’ve been the most humbled person there. But, that’s just me. How are you gonna be rude and you need publicity? Chile, if you don’t…

MC Lyte wasn’t here for the interviews but she did stop and pose for ya girl. Leela James was corresponding for African Pride and it was cute, I guess.

I really wanted to ask Le Andria about her alleged first husband that showed up on Khai and TT Madison‘s show. But, I didn’t and I settled for a pic and a drop. But, girl, it was on my damn mind. I settled for minding my business.

Keyshia Cole‘s vocals showed up. I don’t think she was lip syncing, chile. I mean, I was in shock. I remember when she would sing ‘Love’ and harassed us all with those vocals. But, she has come a very long way. Do you hear me? Gon’ K. Cole!

Tamar Braxton took that red wig off and settled for a black bob and I’m glad. She sang the hell out of her song, “Rather Go Blind.” It looked like she got a little emotional too.

Auntie Toni Braxton slayed. Guhl, her legs are like a stallion. The songstress is fine as hell. Baby, she definitely took her back with those hits.

Anthony Anderson showed his ass, chile. I mean, his jokes were funny, but I couldn’t tell if he was joking or if he was serious, lmaooo! Either way, he had us laughing.

Y’all know Badu did her thing as always. She really has a dope ass personality and I love her hosting the Soul Train Awards.

Welp, I’ll tell ya more about what happened later this week, but just know you need to watch the show November 27 @ 8/7PM. The show was good…Real good! BET got this right.

 

 

 

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BET MEDIA GROUP HONORED BLACK LGBTQ+ TRAILBLAZER WITH A POWERFUL NIGHT OF CELEBRATION, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY

FROM BOB THE DRAG QUEEN’S GROUNDBREAKING RECOGNITION TO HOPE GISELLES’S INSPIRING REMARKS– THE 3RD ANNUAL BET BLACK + ICONIC SOIREE HIGHLIGHTED THE BRILLIANCE AND IMPACT OF BLACK LGBTQ+ LEADERS

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(New York, NY)– May 28, 2025 – The 3rd Annual BET Black + Iconic Soirée made its Washington, D.C debut with inspiring evening celebrating the past, present, and future of black LGBTQ+ excellence. The 2025 theme, “Excellence Ascending,” paid tribute to cultural change makers leading with authenticity, courage and purpose.

Hosted by entertainment journalist and Access Hollywood anchor Scott Evans, the Soirée gathered trailblazers across activism, arts, business, and media for a powerful evening of storytelling , performance, and legacy-building.

Highlights from the BET Black + Iconic Soriée Included:
  • Ashlee Davis, J.D. received the Executive Realness Award for her trailblazing work in civil rights leadership, including her legacy of impact across government and corporate sectors.
  • Hope Giselle, a powerful advocate and author was named Emerging leader for her unrelenting work championing visibility and inclusion for Black trans communities.
  • Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, was honored as Active Advocate for her decades of leadership advancing reproductive justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
  • Ashlee Marie Preston, a nationally recognized activist and media strategist, accepted the Creative Visionary Award, saluted for using her voice to shift narratives and build intergenerational coalitions.
  • Bob the Drag Queen, Emmy-winning entertainer and global icon, received the Culture Trailblazer Award, closing the evening with a heartfelt speech about identity, freedom, legacy.
  • The Center for Black Equity and the Take Resource Center each received $5,000 through the BET Thrive Fund Recognition, honored for their work advancing Black LGBTQ+ wellness, equity and community organizing.

The night also featured a soul-stirring medley performance by Broadway powerhouse Avery Wilson, fresh off stage from The Wiz revival. Presenters included Eva Marcille (All The Queen’s Men, BET+), Carter The Body (All The Queen’s Men, BET+), Bryan Terrell Clark (Diarra from Detroit, BET+), and Arrington Foster (The Family Business, BET+), each bringing star power and heartfelt tributes to the evening’s honorees.

“From the very beginning, we knew this couldn’t be just another event,” said Tiyale Hayes, EVP of Insights and Multiplatform Analytics and Co-Lead of Social Impact at BET, During his opening remarks. “It had to an intentional space to uplift stories too often silenced and celebrate contributions that have shaped the world in powerful ways.”

The evening also spotlighted Gilead Sciences, a long standing partner of the BET Black + Iconic Soirée. Gilead’s Rashad Burgess, Vice President of U.S. Advocacy and Health Equity, emphasized and the importance of equitable healthcare access, visibility, and long-term impact for Black LGBTQ+ communities.

Additionally, the event welcomed Truth Initiative as a new partner of the BET Black + Iconic Soirée. Dr. Kendrick Dartis, Vice president of Outreach and Engagement, addressed the urgent issue of tobacco use in Black and LGBTQ+ communities and emphasized the need for culturally relevant cessation support. He also announced a $5,000 BET Thrive Fund donation, sponsored by Truth Initiative, to Us Helping Us– a D.C.- based non profit dedicated to advancing health equity.

BET Black + Iconic Soirée stands as defining moment in the 45th anniversary year of the media group– underscoring its mission to center Black culture, honor its LGBTQ+ communities, and drive meaningful, measurable impact.

Join the conversation using #BlackAndIconic and relieve the nights most powerful moments on BET’s official social channels. The Televised premiere date and time will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT BET MEDIA GROUP

The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ:PARAA;PARA), is the worlds largest media company dedicated too entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community and championing Black culture. Connecting Back audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events and international. For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements visit bet pressroom.com.

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