The BET Hip-Hop Awards and Soul Train Awards are suspended, with no clear timetable for their return. Two of the most important award shows for Black music have been paused. Network CEO Scott Mills explained the decision in an interview with Billboard, where he mentioned stagnant ratings and financial pressure as the reasons for pulling the plug.

“I would assure everyone who cares about BET that it will continue to be here for our community,” says Mills. “We’re all committed to that.”

When asked about the end of the two beloved awards shows, Mills elaborated on his vision.

“I would say that it’s less about them being no longer and more about our team having to reimagine them for this changing media landscape that we find ourselves in,” he explained. “I think what we’re going to see are more people taking franchises and saying, ‘This might have started on linear television, but now I’m going to move it to another space. Do I move it to streaming? Or do I move it to another platform?’ So for BET linear, we have suspended the Soul Train and Hip-Hop award shows. But we have a team that’s actively thinking about where those award shows might best live as the media climate continues to evolve. They aren’t gone. And we also still have the NAACP Image Awards and the Stellar Awards.”

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