Soul and R&B music was full of life, last Saturday night at the feel-good party of the year, the “Soul Train Awards” 2022, presented by BET as Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer, Tems, was recognised as the Best New Artist.
Tems, who was nominated alongside fellow Nigerians CKay and Fireboy DML, became the first African artist to emerge winner of her category.
“Tems embodies the essence of R&B/Soul and her recognition as the Best New Artist once again underscores her brilliance as well as the globalisation of African music. We are excited about the emergence of African talent on the global stage and will continue to play our part as collaborators and promoters of black excellence,” said Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Paramount Africa and Peer Lead, BET International.
Hosted by award-winning comedian and actor Deon Cole, the “Soul Train Awards” 2022 featured an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances including special moments and appearances by some of the brightest stars in Black culture and entertainment. Beyoncé led the night with three wins for Album of The Year, Song of the Year and Best Collaboration with Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers.
The feel good party of the year kicked off with the “Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Special,” with hosts Tank covering the Main Stage, Letoya Luckett on the Correspondent Stage, and Novi Brown (“Tyler Perry’s Sistas”) in the Walmart Lounge. The pre-show featured performances and appearances by Baby Tate, DIXSON, J. Holiday, FLO, and Vedo.
The “Soul Train Awards” 2022 performances began with R&B singer-songwriter Muni Long singing a soulful rendition of “Plot Twist,” featuring an on-stage reenactment of the single that included notable attendees Erica Ash, Skyh Black, DC Young Fly, and Paige Hurd, followed by her hit single, “Hrs and Hrs.” Host Deon Cole then paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Migos rapper, Takeoff. Next, the audience was treated to a dazzling performance by songstress Ari Lennox, as she performed her current single, “Waste My Time”. R&B singer-songwriter and producer Tank and multi-platinum singer-songwriter J. Valentine took to the stage and had the audience swooning with a sultry performance of their single “Slow.” With introductions from singer-songwriter Lucky Daye and platinum-selling R&B vocalist Queen Naija, Coco Jones and Q impressed the audience with renditions of “ICU” and “Today,” respectively.
R&B songwriter and vocal powerhouse Chanté Moore wowed the audience with her sophisticated renditions of her classic hits “Love’s Taken Over,” “It’s Alright,” and fan-favorite “Chante’s Got A Man.” Californian native SiR emerged from the audience during his set to serenade Ari Lennox during his performance of his melodic new single “Nothing Even Matters,” which samples D’Angelo’s “Send It On.”
Trailblazing 90’s R&B supergroup Xscape was crowned Lady of Soul at this year’s Awards, sponsored by Walmart. The award was presented to them by their legendary producer and So So Def Recordings founder Jermaine Dupri, who spoke fondly about knowing the group was destined for stardom when he first met them.
Iconic funk brand Morris Day & The Time closed out the night with the Legend Award, presented to them by JB Smoove. After reflecting on the group’s success, and their days collaborating with Prince, Morris Day & The Time accepted the award and expressed profound gratitude. The group then brought their signature blend of funk and soul to the stage, performing a medley of their classic hits including “Cool,” “777,” “Jungle Love,” and closing out with crowd favorite “Bird,” keeping the audience on their feet dancing until the last note. Additional presenters for the evening included Mark Tallman and Michelle Mitchenor from BET+ original series First Wives Club.
The complete list of “Soul Train Awards” 2022 winners are:
BEST NEW ARTIST
TEMS
CERTIFIED SOUL AWARD
MARY J. BLIGE
BEST R&B/SOUL FEMALE ARTIST
JAZMINE SULLIVAN
BEST R&B/SOUL MALE ARTIST
CHRIS BROWN
BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
MAVERICK CITY MUSIC X KIRK FRANKLIN
SONG OF THE YEAR
BREAK MY SOUL - BEYONCÉ
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
RENAISSANCE - BEYONCÉ
THE ASHFORD AND SIMPSON SONGWRITER’S AWARD
HRS & HRS - MUNI LONG
BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE
ABOUT DAMN TIME - LIZZO
BEST COLLABORATION
MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN, GIRL - RONALD ISLEY & THE ISLEY BROTHERS FEAT. BEYONCÉ
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
SMOKIN OUT THE WINDOW - BRUNO MARS, ANDERSON .PAAK, SILK SONIC
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