T-Pain is set to receive one of the highest honors during the 2023 Soul Train Awards later this month. On Friday (November 17), the Soul Train organization announced that T-Pain will be the recipient of the Legend Award during this year’s jam-packed ceremony. In a statement he released in response to news of the announcement, T-Pain remarked on his 20-year career and what it meant for his work to be recognized by BET and the Soul Train Awards.
“To be honest, it feels incredible to be recognized by BET as this year’s Soul Train Awards Legend honoree,” he said. “Not that I’m looking for recognition at this point in my career; I’m just doing what I like and what makes me happy, but it still feels great when you receive it. I’ve done a lot in the last 20 years, and for BET to be one of the first networks to recognize that is pretty cool.”
According to executives on the BET side, part of the rationale behind the decision to honor, T-Pain this year was due to his innovative approach as a songwriter.
“When it comes to his overall approach to music as a songwriter, the genius of T-Pain stands among the most memorable and enviable in the business. He has reshaped the fabric of the music industry, and his influence transcends generations in pop, Hip Hop, and R&B,” Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming and Strategy at BET, said. “We are honored to celebrate his limitless contributions to the culture at the soulful party of the year: Soul Train Awards 2023.”
In addition to 10 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, T-Pain has also received more than 28 gold and platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America.
In addition to performances from artists such as BJ The Chicago Kid, Coco Jones, Fridayy, Danté Bowe, Muni Long, SWV and Keke Palmer, BET announced the 2023 Soul Train Awards will also feature the Soul Cypher segment tapping vocalists such as Arin Ray, Eric Bellinger, Marsha Ambrosius and Nicci Gilbert.