Chaka Khan to receive Classic Soul Honor at Soul Train Awards

Legendary singer Chaka Khan will be honored with the Classic Soul Honor at the 2026 Soul Train Awards. The ceremony is scheduled to air on November 27 on BET, with CBS providing its first-ever simulcast of the event.

The awards ceremony will return to Chicago, the city where the Soul Train television show originally launched in 1971. BET President Louis Carr described Khan as the “embodiment of soul music,” noting her influence across generations.

In anticipation of the event, singer Syleena Johnson has publicly auditioned for a role in the tribute. Johnson, a fellow Chicago native and member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, shared a rendition of “Ain’t Nobody” via social media to express her interest in performing at the ceremony.