Producers of the Soul Train Awards are prepping their biggest event yet. The 2013 edition of the urban music celebration takes place on Nov. 8 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas (it airs Dec. 1 on BET), where a new venue promises a grander, two-stage production worthy of the marquee names being honored.
Confirmed performers are Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Gladys Knight, Tamar Braxton, American Idol’s Candice Glover and Ruben Studdard, Warren G. and Big Daddy Kane, among others.
Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson hosts the show, while today, it was announced that popular talk show host Wendy Williams will handle red carpet duties for the broadcast. “She is an amazing television personality and that translates incredibly well to a red carpet host,” says executive producer Bart Phillips. “It’s what she does, talking to celebrities, her energy and pushing the envelope, which is what Soul Train is all about.”
In many ways, these are not your parents’ Soul Train Awards. For one thing, the show has added a second stage (see rendering below), which will feature a rotating mix of DJs including Big Tigger and D-Nice. But while it lunges forward, it also looks back, honoring the soul soundtrack of the 90s this year via influential black cinema and R&B hits of the day.
But perhaps most importantly, adds Phillips, is having Soul Train Awards’ acts perform “100 percent live — no tracks here.”
Of course, the million dollar question is….who is performing? Well, we’ve got you covered.
