SZA, Usher & Victoria Monét Are Top Winners at 2023 Soul Train Awards: Full List

Paul Grein
·5 min read
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SZA was the top winner at the 2023 Soul Train Awards, which premiered Sunday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. The red-hot star won four awards: best R&B/soul female artist, album of the year for SOS, and both song of the year and the Ashford & Simpson songwriter’s award for “Snooze.”

This is the sixth consecutive year that a female solo artist has won album of the year at the Soul Train Awards. H.E.R.’s H.E.R. won in 2018, followed by Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You, Summer Walker’s Over It, Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales, Beyoncé’s Renaissance and now SOS.

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This marks the second time SZA has won best R&B/soul female artist; she previously won in 2017.

SZA, who was Billboard’s woman of the year for 2023, is this year’s leading Grammy nominee with nine nods, including album of the year and best progressive R&B album for SOS (which logged 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200) and best R&B song for “Snooze” (which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100).

Usher was runner-up at the Soul Train Awards with three awards, followed by Victoria Monét with two. Keke Palmer hosted the show, which was billed as “the soulful house party of the year.”

Usher won best R&B/soul male artist for the second time. He previously won in 2010 in a tie with Trey Songz. He also won the certified soul award and best collaboration for the hit “Good Good,” on which he teamed with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. That was the only award for Walker, who went into the night with nine nods (tied for the lead with SZA and Usher) and 21 Savage, who was the nominations runner-up with eight.

Monét won best dance performance and video of the year, both for “On My Mama.” That track is up for two Grammys: record of the year and best R&B song.

Coco Jones was named best new artist. She also won in that category at the BET Awards on June 27. Jones, 25, is nominated in that category at the Grammys as well.

Kirk Franklin won the best gospel/inspirational award for the fifth consecutive year, and the sixth time overall, for “All Things.”

Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Janelle Monáe and October London, each of whom received four nominations, were shut out, though Monáe received the Spirit of Soul Award. The show tweaked the name of its Lady of Soul award, which it has presented annually since 2015, “to honor the diversity and inclusivity of this year’s recipient.” Monáe identifies as nonbinary.

T-Pain won the night’s other honorary award, the Legend Award.

Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy, oversaw the annual show and executive produced for BET with Jamal Noisette, VP, specials & music programming. Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, served as executive producer, along with Jesse Collins Entertainment’s Jeannae Rouzan–Clay and Dionne Harmon.

Fans can watch encore presentations of the show on Monday, Nov. 27, at 9 p.m. ET/PT and on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. ET/PT on BET. The show will air internationally on BET Africa on Monday, Nov. 27, at 3 CAT, and on BET France on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 20:45 PM CET. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the U.K. beginning Thursday, Nov. 30.

Here’s the complete list of 2023 Soul Train Awards nominees, with winners marked:

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

WINNER: 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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: SZA       

Victoria Monét

Best R&B/soul male artist

6lack

Babyface

Brent Faiyaz

Burna Boy

Chris Brown

Eric Bellinger

October London

WINNER: Usher

Best group

Dvsn

Flo

Jagged Edge

Kool & The Gang

WINNER: 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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: 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

WINNER: Usher

The Ashford and Simpson songwriter’s 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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: “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

WINNER: “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

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