Deon Cole Tapped to Host “Soul Train Awards”

NEW YORK – BET announces the host, nominees and premiere date of “Soul Train Awards” 2022 presented by BET taking place, Sunday, November 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Actor, comedian and writer Deon Cole will host an incredible night celebrating the best in soul music and the iconic legacy brand. Additionally, BET has released the official nominations for “Soul Train Awards” 2022. “Soul Train Awards” recognizes the best in Soul, R&B, and Hip Hop from both established industry legends and the next generation of promising artists. The official “Soul Train Awards” nominees, selected by a voting academy of esteemed music industry insiders, performers, and presenters. The “Soul Train Awards” 2022 premieres Sunday, November 27 at 8 pm ET/PT on BET and BET Her.

“Deon Cole is known for delivering razor-sharp humor and commentary across his acclaimed standup specials and series. Get ready to see him unleash his comedic talents like never before on the Soul Train Awards stage–and don’t say we didn’t warn you,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “Deon is BET family, and we are proud to have him make his hosting debut exclusively on BET. We are also equally proud to continue celebrating the legacy of Soul Train with our esteemed nominees and delivering unforgettable performances and moments that epitomize Black Excellence.”

“Hosting the ‘Soul Train Awards’ is a dream come true. I grew up watching Soul Train and ‘til this day, I’ve never met a Soul Train Line I didn’t bless with my skilled two step,” said host Deon Cole. “It is truly a privilege to be given this opportunity to celebrate Don Cornelius’ legacy, all of the amazing Black talent that illuminated our screens on the iconic TV show, and my favorite genres of music: Soul, R&B and Hip Hop.”

Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige lead “Soul Train Awards” 2022 nominations with an impressive 7 nods; Beyoncé for ‘Best R&B/Soul Female Artist,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ ‘Song of the Year,’ and twice for ‘Best Collaboration’ and ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award.’ Mary J. Blige for ‘Certified Soul Award,’ ‘Best R&B/Soul Female Artist,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ ‘Song of the Year,’ ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ and ‘Best Collaboration.’ Ari Lennox garnered the second most nods with 6 nominations: ‘Best R&B/Soul Female Artist,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ ‘Song of the Year,’ ‘The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award,’ ‘Best Dance Performance,’ and ‘Video of the Year.’ Lizzo and Chris Brown are tied at 5 nods each, followed by Burna Boy, Muni Long and Steve Lacy with 4 nods. Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, PJ Morton and Tems each garnered 3 nominations.

The “Soul Train Awards” 2022 presented by BET will feature an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances, special moments and appearances by some of the brightest stars in Black culture and entertainment. The annual event is committed to showcasing the impact of Soul Train on music and dance from the ‘70s to today.

About Deon Cole
Deon Cole is a comedian, writer, and actor, co-starring in Jeymes Samuel’s THE HARDER THEY FALL (Netflix) with Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz, and Lakeith Stanfield. Deon recently wrapped Kenya Barris and Jonah Hill’s YOU PEOPLE for Netflix, acting opposite Jonah Hill, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Eddie Murphy. Deon is currently playing ‘Alfonso’ in Amblin/Warner Bros.’ THE COLOR PURPLE directed by Blitz Bazawule as part of an all-star ensemble featuring Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks, Aunjanue Ellis, Halle Bailey, and H.E.R. Next up, Deon will star in the BET+ original series AVERAGE JOE from McG.

Deon can also be seen as Charlie on ABC’s BLACK-ISH and Freeform’s GROWNISH. For his work on BLACK-ISH, Deon won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for three years straight. Deon can be heard as the voice of Dave for Dreamworks Animation’s Netflix series, KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS.

Previously, he starred as Detective Daniel “DJ” Tanner on the TBS comedy ANGIE TRIBECA opposite Rashida Jones, and co-starred in the Ice Cube led BARBERSHOP film series.
In standup, Deon recently shot his latest one-hour special for Netflix, CHARLEEN’S BOY. His last special, COLE HEARTED, also for the streamer, was released in 2019 after the success of his appearance THE STANDUPS. His previous one-hour special, DEON COLE: COLE BLOODED SEMINAR was shot for Comedy Central. His stand-up documentary, WORKIN’ IT OUT debuted exclusively on Netflix is a Joke’s YouTu+be channel. The documentary has garnered 6 million views on social media, and 1.6 million views on YouTube alone.
Deon Cole is represented by WME and Kirsten Ames Management.

Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy will oversee the annual show and Executive Produce for BET with Jamal Noisette, VP, Specials & Music Programming. Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, to serve as Executive Producer of “Soul Train Awards” 2022 along with Jesse Collins Entertainment’s Jeannae Rouzan–Clay and Dionne Harmon.

The complete list of nominees for “Soul Train Awards” 2022:
Best New Artist
Ckay
Coco Jones
Dixson
Doechii
Fireboy Dml
Muni Long
Steve Lacy
Tems
Certified Soul Award
Chaka Khan
Charlie Wilson
Diana Ross
Mary J. Blige
Maxwell
Pj Morton
Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers
T-Pain
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Cece Winans
Erica Campbell
Fred Hammond
Major.
Marvin Sapp
Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin
Tamela Mann
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
Ari Lennox
Beyoncé
H.E.R.
Jazmine Sullivan
Lizzo
Mary J. Blige
Sza
Tems
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
Babyface
Brent Faiyaz
Burna Boy
Charlie Wilson
Chris Brown
Giveon
Lucky Daye
Pj Morton