Posted by | Ray Cornelius 

Congrats to soul sistah #1 Erykah Badu aka “DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown.” She has been tapped by CENTRIC to host this year’s Soul Train Awards. The show will be taped on November 6 in Las Vegas with an air date of November 29 at 8PM EST.

CENTRIC also announced that R&B crooner and award winning-songwriter, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will receive the “Legend Award” for his longstanding presence in the industry and influence on the world of music past and present. Edmonds has won 11 Grammy Awards and written and produced 26 No. 1 R&B hits. He has also worked with the biggest names in music history such as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton and many, many more. Edmonds will also perform during the three-day awards weekend alongside R. Kelly and Common. 

Also being recognized as a torchbearer for R&B music is the one and only, Jill Scott. She will receive the first-ever “Lady of Soul” Award.  Scott has been a staple on the soul music scene and is also an accomplished actress and poet.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Best New Artist
ALESSIA CARA
DEJ LOAF
JIDENNA
JUSSIE SMOLLETT
TINASHE

Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
CHRIS BROWN
D’ANGELO
THE WEEKND
TREY SONGZ
TYRESE

Centric Certified Award
AVANT
CHRISETTE MICHELE
THE INTERNET
TYRESE
VIVIAN GREEN

Video of the Year
BEYONCÉ – 7/11
JIDENNA FT. ROMAN GIANARTHUR – CLASSIC MAN
KENDRICK LAMAR – ALRIGHT
MARK RONSON FT. BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
THE WEEKND – EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)

Best Gospel and/or Inspirational Song
ERICA CAMPBELL – MORE LOVE
FRED HAMMOND FT. BREEANN HAMMOND – I WILL TRUST
KIRK FRANKLIN – WANNA BE HAPPY?
LECRAE – ALL I NEED IS YOU
MARVIN SAPP – YES YOU CAN

Album of the Year
CHRIS BROWN – X
D’ANGELO AND THE VANGUARD – BLACK MESSIAH
JILL SCOTT – WOMAN
THE WEEKND – BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS
TYRESE – BLACK ROSE

Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year
BIG SEAN FT. DRAKE & KANYE WEST – BLESSINGS
BIG SEAN FT. E-40 – IDFWU
FETTY WAP – TRAP QUEEN
KENDRICK LAMAR – ALRIGHT
NICKI MINAJ FT. DRAKE & LIL WAYNE – TRUFFLE BUTTER

Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
BEYONCÉ
JANELLE MONÁE
JANET JACKSON
JILL SCOTT
TAMAR BRAXTON

Song of the Year
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND – GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE “SELMA”)
JIDENNA FT. ROMAN GIANARTHUR – CLASSIC MAN
MARK RONSON FT. BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
RIHANNA – B***H BETTER HAVE MY MONEY
THE WEEKND – EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK)

The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award
GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE “SELMA”) – WRITTEN BY: LONNIE RASHID LYNN, JOHN ROGER STEPHENS AND CHE SMITH (COMMON & JOHN LEGEND)
APPARENTLY – WRITTEN BY: JERMAINE L. COLE, DAMON COLEMAN, FILIPPO TRECCA (J.COLE)
UPTOWN FUNK – WRITTEN BY: MARK RONSON, RUDOLPH TAYLOR, LONNIE SIMMONS, PHILIP MARTIN LAWRENCE II, PETER GENE HERNANDEZ, JEFFREY NATH BHASKER, NICHOLAUS JOSEPH WILLIAMS, DEVON CHRISTOPHER GALLASPY, ROBERT LYNN WILSON, CHARLES K. WILSON, RONNIE WILSON (MARK RONSON FT. BRUNO MARS)
EARNED IT (FROM THE “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY” SOUNDTRACK) – WRITTEN BY: ABEL “THE WEEKND” TESFAYE, AHMAD “BELLY” BALSHE, JASON QUENNEVILLE, STEPHAN MOCCIO (THE WEEKND)
SHAME – WRITTEN BY: WARRYN S. CAMPBELL II, SAM DEES, TYRESE DARNELL GIBSON, RON KERSEY, DE WAYNE JULIUS ROGERS (TYRESE)

Best Dance Performance
BEYONCÉ – 7/11
CHRIS BROWN X TYGA – AYO
JANELLE MONÁE & JIDENNA – YOGA
MARK RONSON FT. BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
SILENTO – WATCH ME (WHIP/ NAE NAE)

Best Collaboration
BIG SEAN FT. DRAKE & KANYE WEST – BLESSINGS
COMMON & JOHN LEGEND – GLORY (FROM THE MOTION PICTURE “SELMA”)
MARK RONSON FT. BRUNO MARS – UPTOWN FUNK
NICKI MINAJ FT. BEYONCÉ – FEELING MYSELF
OMARION FT. CHRIS BROWN & JHENÉ AIKO – POST TO BE

CONGRATS!

Photo Credit: Facebook/ErykahBadu