SZA, Usher & Summer Walker Lead Nominations For 2023 Soul Train Awards
By Tony M. Centeno
November 2, 2023
The nominees for the 2023 Soul Train Awards have been revealed.
On Wednesday, November 1, BET shared the full list of nominees for the 36th annual awards show. SZA, Usher and Summer Walker lead the nominations with 9 nods each. The "Snooze" singer was nominated for categories like Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best R&B/Soul Female Artist. Usher is also up for Song of the Year plus Best R&B/Soul Male Artist, Certified Soul Award and Best Collaboration thanks to his single "Good Good" featuring Summer Walker and 21 Savage. Speaking of Walker, she was also nominated for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and Best Dance Performance.
“Soul, R&B, and Hip Hop continue to top the charts and drive culture forward. This year, we are taking inspiration from these genres to innovate and disrupt the award show format while celebrating the legacy of Soul Train,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “We are proud of this year’s list of esteemed nominees and look to deliver an unforgettable night of Soul with our new location, performances, and show moments.”
21 Savage comes in second with eight nominations followed by Coco Jones and Victoria Monét, who have six nods each. The 2023 Soul Train Awards will feature plenty of performances, special guests and more. The show airs on Sunday, November 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. Scroll below for the full list of nominees.
Album of the Year
- The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monáe
- Age/Sex/Location, Ari Lennox
- Clear 2: Soft Life EP, Summer Walker
- Girls Night Out (Extended), Babyface
- I Told Them…, Burna Boy
- Jaguar II, Victoria Monét
- SOS, SZA
- What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe), Coco Jones
Song of the Year
- “Back to Your Place,” October London
- “Favorite Song,” Toosii
- “Good Good,” Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage
- “ICU,” Coco Jones
- “Kill Bill,” SZA
- “Lipstick Lover,” Janelle Monáe
- “On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
- “Snooze,” SZA
Video of the Year
- “Back to Your Place,” October London
- “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” PinkPantheress & Ice Spice
- “Boyfriend,” Usher
- “Good Good,” Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage
- “ICU,” Coco Jones
- “Kill Bill,” SZA
- “Lipstick Lover,” Janelle Monáe
- “On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
- “Special,” Lizzo
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
- Ari Lennox
- Beyoncé
- Coco Jones
- H.E.R.
- Janelle Monáe
- Summer Walker
- SZA
- Victoria Monét
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
- 6lack
- Babyface
- Brent Faiyaz
- Burna Boy
- Chris Brown
- Eric Bellinger
- October London
- Usher
Best Group
- Dvsn
- Flo
- Jagged Edge
- Kool & The Gang
- Maverick City Music
- Phony Ppl
- Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers
- Tank and The Bangas
- Wanmor
Best Collaboration
- “America Has a Problem” (Remix), Beyoncé Feat. Kendrick Lamar
- “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” PinkPantheress & Ice Spice
- “Creepin’ (Remix),” Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, Diddy Feat. 21 Savage
- “Fly Girl,” Flo feat. Missy Elliott
- “Good Good,” Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage
- “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” Burna Boy Feat. 21 Savage
- “Special,” Lizzo feat. SZA
- “To Summer, From Cole (Audio Hug),” Summer Walker, J. Cole
Best New Artist
- Ambré
- Ayra Starr
- Coco Jones
- Doechii
- Flo
- Fridayy
- Tyla
- Wanmor
Certified Soul Award
- Anthony Hamilton
- Ashanti
- Ciara
- Eric Bellinger
- Monica
- PJ Morton
- Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers
- T-Pain
- Usher
The Ashford and Simpson Songwriters Award
- “Back to Your Place,” October London
- “Favorite Song,” Toosii
- “Good Good,” Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage
- “ICU,” Coco Jones
- “Kill Bill,” SZA
- “On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
- “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” Burna Boy Feat. 21 Savage
- “Snooze,” SZA
Best Dance Performance
- “Better Thangs,” Ciara Feat. Summer Walker
- “Boyfriend,” Usher
- “Good Good,” Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage
- “How We Roll,” Ciara & Chris Brown
- “On My Mama,” Victoria Monét
- “Snooze,” SZA
- “Summer Too Hot,” Chris Brown
- “Under the Influence,” Chris Brown
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
- “All of the Glory,” Shirley Caesar
- “All Things,” Kirk Franklin
- “Came Too Far,” Fridayy Feat. Maverick City Music & My Mom
- “Cry,” Koryn Hawthorne
- “Feel Alright (Blessed),” Erica Campbell
- “God Problems,” Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine
- “The Journey,” H.E.R.
- “Try Love,” Kirk Franklin