Next up were two incredible tribute segments honoring music legends Chaka Khan and Bobby Brown. Each artist brought their own unique flavor to the stage in this high-energy performance that set the tone for the rest of the evening. The show kicked off with an electrifying opening number featuring stars like Tyrese, Trey Songz, Fantasia, Monica, Tank, Tamar Braxton and more.

The 2012 Soul Train Awards was a night of powerful performances and special tributes. He joked about current events while paying homage to legendary musicians like James Brown and Chaka Khan–a perfect way to kick off such a special event! With that, let’s dive into all the action from this memorable night at the 2012 Soul Train Awards! Once everyone had taken their seats, host Cedric The Entertainer took center stage and welcomed everyone with an electrifying opening monologue. Singers Brandy and Chris Brown were just two of many who made appearances on the red carpet that night. The crowd went wild as some of today’s biggest celebrities strutted their stuff down the carpet. The star-studded red carpet drew plenty of attention before the ceremony even began. From Jennifer Hudson’s showstopping performance to Usher’s emotional speech, it was an event you couldn’t miss! Let’s recap some of the highlights from this amazing evening. Music fans from around the world tuned in to watch their favorite stars take home awards, perform must-see performances and celebrate decades of soul music culture. The 2012 Soul Train Awards was a night for the ages. Ludacrisīest Dance Performance: Beyonce â “Love On Top”Ĭheck out all the hot performances below by scrolling through the playlist: The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award â”Tonight (Best You Ever Had)”: John Legend feat. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz “Mercy”īest R&B/ Soul Female Artist â BeyoncÃ©Īlbum of the Year – â¨Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange The winners of The 2012 Soul Train Awards Winners are:īest Gospel/ Inspirational Performance – Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks’ “Celebrate”īest Hip Hop Song of the Year â Kanye West feat. Telephone Man,” proving they still got it. After their acceptance speech, they took to the stage to perform a medley of hits such as “Candy Girl,” “If It Isn’t Love,” and “Mr. New Edition was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for 30-years in the business. Miguel rocked out with “Adorn,” while Charlie Wilson showed Cedric the Entertainer how to do it old school with his single “My Love Is All I Have.” Elle Varner looked and sounded stunning with her performance of “Refill.” The world got a whiff of what we can expect from TGT (a mega R&B group consisting of Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank) as Tyrese brought out the other two after his performance of “Stay.” X-Factor contestant Marcus Canty would have made Luther Vandross proud with his tribute to Luther Vandross by singing “Never Too Much.” Eddie Levert tributeed his son’s Gerald and Sean with the Levert hit “Cassanova.” Rapper 2 Chainz had the venue hyped with the PG version of “Birthday Song” and “Different.” Stevie Wonder closed the show with “Supersitious.” John Legend performed “Tonight (Best You’ve Ever Had)” while seated at the piano surrounded by female dancers. The show opened with a medley of performances by Raphael Saadiq channeling Johnnie Taylor, Leah Labelle’s tribute to Teena Marie with “Square Biz”, Anthony Hamilton sang Bill Wither’s “Lovely Day,” and Fantasia had the auditorium shouting with her Aretha Franklin cover of “Don’t Play That Song For Me.” Charlie Wilson performed his Gap Band hit “Outstanding.” NeYo broke it down with “Let Me Love You” in an all cream ensemble, and Keyshia Cole belted “Trust and Believe” then melted in to “Enough of No Love” minus Lil Wayne. The show was filled with tributes to Cornelius and words from his son Tony Cornelius, a moment symbolizing the passing of the torch. This was the first Soul Train awards after the untimely passing of founder/creator Don Cornelius, whose influence on music is still felt till this day. The 2012 Soul Train Awards was a celebration of R&B/Soul music like no other! Taped at Planet Hollywood Live Las Vegas and simultaneously airing on BET and Centric, the ceremony was hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, who tried to “soul Vegas up” in vignettes throughout the show.

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