BET Announces Official Nominees for the 2018 Soul Train Awards: H.E.R. and Bruno Mars Lead with 6 Nominations Followed by SZA, Ella Mai, Daniel Caesar, and Cardi B

Iconic Best Friend Duo Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold to Host Annual Awards Taping at the Orleans Theater in Las Vegas on November 17^th

4-Time Grammy Award Winning Songstress Erykah Badu to Receive the Legend Award

Multi-Platinum Songstress Faith Evans to Be Honored with Lady of Soul Award

Soul Train Awards 2018 Premieres on BET and BET HER, November 25^th at 8PM ET

#SOULTRAINAWARDS

To Apply for Media Credentials for the 2018 BET Presents: Soul Train Awards: https://betsoultrain18.pvitl.com/registration/media_public_apply

BET Networks today announces the nominees for the 2018 Soul Train Awards across 12 different categories. The annual celebration will recognize the best in Soul, R&B and Hip-Hop from legends to the next generation. Filming on November 17th at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, BET presents: 2018 Soul Train Awards will air on BET and BET HER on November 25^th, 2018 at 8PM ET.

2018 breakout star, H.E.R. ties with last year's top winner, Bruno Mars, for the most nods, leading the nominations with six each. H.E.R.'s nominations include ‘Song of the Year,' ‘Best R&B/Soul Female Artist,' ‘Album/Mixtape of the Year,' ‘Best Collaboration Performance,' ‘Video of the Year,' and ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriters Award.' Bruno's nominations include ‘Best R&B/Soul Male,' ‘Song of the Year, ‘Best Dance Performance, ‘Best Collaboration Performance,' ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriters Award' ‘Video of the Year,' for "Finesse."

Other nominees include SZA who garnered 5 nods, Ella Mai, Daniel Caesar, and Cardi B each garnered 4 nods for this year's awards.

Known for being the iconic best friend duo on the 90's hit show Martin, real life best friends Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold are sure to bring the fun at this year's awards.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning, singer-songwriter, artist, director/producer, holistic healer, activist, and mother Erykah Badu, is set to receive the Legend Award. No stranger to the Soul Train Awards stage, serving as the 2017 host of the awards, Badu's career has roots deeply planted in soul. The New York Times described Badu's groundbreaking debut, 1997's "Baduizm," as "traditional soul vocals, staccato hip-hop rhythms and laid-back jazzy grooves." Yet, hindsight reveals that Badu's debut was more than just an album, it was the introduction of a new lifestyle. In her career spanning over two decades, Badu has continued to use her platform as an altar. By incorporating instruments such as tuning forks, crystal singing bowls, and gem stones and more into her music, she has created a wave of healing energy throughout the planet. But her true instrument is the 'intent' with which she sings.

The fourth annual Lady of Soul Award will be presented to multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning artist, songwriter, and record producer Faith Evans. With a music career spanning over two decades, Faith has released eight studio albums, with over 18 million albums sold and spawning over 30 singles. Faith has also performed on 20+ soundtracks and a host of guest appearances during her career. Faith Evans is a seven-time Grammy nominee; winning "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" in 1998 for "I'll Be Missing You," an homage to her late husband and hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G.

BET Presents: 2018 Soul Train Awards will feature an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances and viewers can expect special appearances by some of the brightest stars in entertainment. The event annually showcases Soul Train's impact on the history of music and dance from the 70s to today.

Want to cover the BET Presents: 2018 Soul Train Awards red carpet? Head to www.betpressroom.com now and complete the application!

BET Presents: 2018 Soul Train Awards is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Executive Producers of the network telecast are as follows: Connie Orlando from BET and Jesse Collins from Jesse Collins Entertainment.

For show information, please visit BET.com/SoulTrain, the official site for BET Presents: 2018 Soul Train Awards.

The complete list of nominees for BET Presents: 2018 Soul Train Awards are:

BEST NEW ARTIST
DANIEL CAESAR
JORJA SMITH
KALI UCHIS
LEON THOMAS
NORMANI
QUEEN NAIJA

SOUL TRAIN CERTIFIED AWARD
ASHANTI
JORJA SMITH
LEDISI
LENNY KRAVITZ
MAJOR.
TAMIA

BEST R&B/SOUL FEMALE ARTIST
BEYONCE
ELLA MAI
H.E.R.
MARIAH CAREY
SZA

BEST R&B/SOUL MALE ARTIST
BRUNO MARS
CHILDISH GAMBINO
DANIEL CAESAR
JOHN LEGEND
KHALID
TANK

BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
ANDRA DAY
KIRK FRANKLIN
LECRAE
SNOOP DOGG
TORI KELLY

THE ASHFORD AND SIMPSON SONGWRITER'S AWARD
FINESSE (REMIX) - WRITTEN BY: GENE HERNANDEZ, BELCALIS ALMANZAR, CHRIS BROWN, JAMES FAUNTLEROY, PHILIP LAWRENCE, RAY MCCULLOUGH, KLENORD RAPHAEL, JEREMY REEVES, JAMES YIP, RAY ROMULUS (BRUNO MARS FEAT. CARDI B)
SUMMERTIME MAGIC - WRITTEN BY: DONALD GLOVER, LUDWIG GORANSSON (CHILDISH GAMBINO)
BEST PART - WRITTEN BY: ASHTON SIMMONDS, H.E.R., RILEY BELL, MATTHEW BURNETT, JORDAN EVANS (DANIEL CAESAR FEAT. H.E.R.)
BOO'D UP - WRITTEN BY: ELLA HOWELL, DIJON MCFARLANE, JOELLE JAMES, LARRANCE DOPSON (ELLA MAI)
FOCUS - WRITTEN BY: H.E.R., DARHYL CAMPER, JUSTIN LOVE (H.E.R.)
BROKEN CLOCKS - WRITTEN BY: SOLANA ROWE, CODY FAYNE, ADAM FEENEY, ASHTON SIMMONDS, THOMAS BEESLEY (SZA)

To apply for media credentials visit https://betsoultrain18.pvitl.com/registration/media_public_apply or contact Melissa.Nyarko@bet.net.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. 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; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

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).

About Jesse Collins Entertainment

Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) 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. Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the Grammy Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars, ABFF Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins was an executive producer of the hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart, the critically-acclaimed The New Edition Story, a biopic on the boy band that aired as a 3-part mini-series on BET in January 2017 and posted record ratings for the network and attracted nearly 30 million viewers. He is also the executive producer of VH1 shows Dear Mama and Hip Hop Squares with Ice Cube. He has appeared on the cover of Vibe magazine and has been featured in numerous publications including Ebony magazine. JCE recent debut The Bobby Brown Story aired on BET on September 4 and 5, 2018 drawing over 13MM total viewers in its premiere week.

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