Keke Palmer Tapped to Host “Soul Train Awards” 2023 Presented by BET

Today, BET announced superstar Emmy Award®-winning actress, musical artist, producer, and entrepreneur Keke Palmer as the host of the house party of the year, “Soul Train Awards” 2023. “Soul Train Awards” 2023 recognizes the best in Soul, R&B, and Hip Hop from established industry legends and the next generation of promising artists. Taping in Los Angeles, CA, the show reimagines the traditional award show ceremony as an intimate, unforgettable night celebrating the best in soul music and the iconic legacy brand. BJ The Chicago Kid, Coco Jones, Danté Bowe, Fridayy, Muni Long, SWV, and Keke Palmer are set to perform. “Soul Train Awards” 2023 premieres Sunday, November 26 @ 8 PM ET/PT on BET and BET Her.

The Soul Train is rolling in with @kekepalmer as our fabulous host of this year’s #SoulTrainAwards—and you’re invited!

Join us in the Hollywood Hills for a night of epic celebration and soulful vibes! It’s going down SUN, Nov 26 8/7c on @BET! pic.twitter.com/yhKhtunCS8

— BET (@BET) November 15, 2023

“Keke Palmer is a globally recognized multihyphenate talent who embodies confidence and positivity and is one of the most engaging and lovable personalities working in entertainment today. We can’t wait to have her host the Soul Train Awards house party,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “BET gave Keke her first talk show, where she made history as the youngest talk show host in television, and today we are honored to have her back on the ‘Soul Train Awards’ stage. As always, expect our star-studded slate of soulful artists and can’t-miss moments to illuminate your screens for a night dedicated to soul music.”

Summer Walker, SZA, and Usher lead “Soul Train Awards” 2023 nominations with an outstanding nine nods, marking a historic three-way tie. The official “Soul Train Awards” 2023 nominees were selected by a voting academy of esteemed music industry insiders, performers, and presenters. Click HERE for the complete “Soul Train Awards” 2023 nominees list.

Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, will oversee the annual show and Executive Produce for BET with Jamal Noisette, VP, Specials & Music Programming. Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, to serve as Executive Producer of “Soul Train Awards” 2023 along with Jesse Collins Entertainment’s Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Dionne Harmon.

About Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer is an Emmy® award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and television host. She recently starred in Jordan Peele’s Universal summer blockbuster Nope opposite Daniel Kaluuya, earning unanimously rave reviews as well as a NY Film Critics’ Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress. Keke voiced the new character “Izzy” in Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear, hosted NBC’s reboot of Password with Jimmy Fallon, earning her a 2023 Emmy nomination for the ‘Outstanding Host For A Game Show’, and launched a record-breaking podcast, Baby, This is Keke Palmer, with Wondery/Amazon. She will next star in (and produce) The Universal Studios comedy, The Backup opposite Kevin Hart, followed by David O. Russell’s Super Toys.

In 2021, Palmer received a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal of the five Taylor family members in her own series, Turnt Up With the Taylors, which she produced with Kids at Play for Facebook Watch based on the original characters who rose to popularity on her social media. She lends her voice Disney+’s revival of The Proud Family, Netflix’s Big Mouth and Human Resources, and Broadway Video/ Audible scripted podcast, Hit Job.

In fall 2022, Keke launched her own digital network, KeyTV, dedicated to spotlighting a new generation of diverse creators and democratizing the entertainment industry. For KeyTV, she has written, produced, and/or starred in various scripted and unscripted original content, including her directorial debut, the short film Big Boss, that was accompanied by an album of the same title, which was released in May 2023. Keke has also released two hit EP’s, Virgo Tendencies: Part 1 & 2 from her own Big Bosses Record Label.

Keke was tapped to host Vogue’s first-ever official Livestream for the 2021 Met Gala, which garnered 15 million views across all platforms and 54 million minutes watched in the first 24 hours alone, with Vogue touting record-breaking viewership and digital engagement around the event. She also hosted the 2020 MTV VMA Awards, which boasted a whopping 4.1 million social media impressions, the most impressions of any event that year just behind the Super Bowl®. In 2020 Keke received an Emmy® nomination for her work as a host on ABC’s GMA3: Strahan, Sara, and Keke. She hosted Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President and Our White House, the official inauguration day program for kids.

Keke rose to prominence through her breakout role in Akeelah and the Bee at age 12 starring opposite Angela Bassett and Lawrence Fishburne and has gone on to star in over 25 films and 30 TV shows. In 2018, she played the lead in the dark and gritty film, Pimp, executive produced by Lee Daniels. She also starred in 20th Century Fox Television and Lee Daniels Entertainment’s hit television show Star, EPIX’s Berlin Station, and FOX’s Scream Queens produced by Ryan Murphy.

Keke has broken barriers from a young age, becoming the youngest actress ever to receive a SAG Award nomination in a lead actor category for her work in The Wool Cap at the age of 10, the youngest and first Black Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic musical, Cinderella on Broadway, the first Black woman to star as Marty in the TV movie version of Grease Live! and the youngest talk show host in history. She is a passionate activist for the causes she believes in and as an advocate for young people. She hopes to inspire her millennial contemporaries to harness their power and drive the change they hope to see in the world.

Keke Palmer is represented by Big Bosses Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment Hertz, Lichtenstein Young and Polk.