Tv Premiere: Saturday 16 March At 22:00 CAT

Johannesburg/Lagos, 14 March 2013: BET celebrated the biggest night in R&B/soul at the 25th annual Soul Train Awards 2012, an epic celebration of music and entertainment combining not-to-be-missed musical performances with hilarious awards presentations and much more.

The Soul Train Awards 2012 premieres on BET in sub-Saharan Africa on Saturday 16 March at 22:00 CAT.

Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and taped at Planet Hollywood Live, Las Vegas, USA on 8 November 2012, the Soul Train Awards 2012 featured unforgettable performances by music legends Stevie Wonder, Eddie Levert and Charlie Wilson, as well as contemporary artists of today channeling classic soul icons of yesterday.  Epic Records recording artist Leah Labelle brought down the house with her flawless performance of Teena Marie’s “Square Biz”, Grammy Award-winner Fantasia embodied the Queen of Soul with her rendition of the Aretha Franklin classic “Don’t Play That Song For Me”, while Anthony Hamilton belted Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day”, and The Voice USA season 1 winner Marcus Canty tore up the stage with his take on Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much”.

Other artists and nominees taking to the stage of the Soul Train Awards 2012 included three-time nominee Miguel, performing “Adorn”, Ne-Yo, who wowed with his single “Let Me Love You” and Best R&B/Soul Female Artist nominee Keyshia Cole, who performed her single “Trust and Believe”.  Tyrese, who performed his Song of the Year-nominated hit “Stay”; 2012 Best New Artist nominee Elle Varner, who sang a remix version of her single “Refill” with a human beatbox; and two-time nominee John Legend, who performed his Song of the Year-nominated smash “Tonight (Best you Ever Had)”.  Bringing southern hip-hop to the Soul Train Awards 2012 stage was two-time Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year nominee, 2 Chainz, who performed a crowd-pleasing medley of his hits “Birthday Song” and “I’m Different”, not to mention a special duet of “Ghetto Dreams” with Charlie Wilson.  Closing out the show was none other than the “8th Wonder of the World,” Stevie Wonder, who delivered a roof-lifting medley of his hits including “Superstition” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”.

New Edition - particularly Bobby Brown - gave a tear-inducing acceptance speech during the group’s much-anticipated and well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award presentation.  The sextet later returned to the stage for a very special crowd-pleasing performance of their hits “Candy Girl”, “Telephone Man”, and “If It Isn’t Love”.

Among the guest presenters at the Soul Train Awards were long-time Academy Awards host, actor and comedian Billy Crystal, Donny and Marie Osmond, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, Las Vegas comedic icon George Wallace, basketball legend Magic Johnson, hit-making songwriter and producer Jimmy Jam, “Vampire Diaries” star Kat Graham, Tamar Braxton, 2012 Best New Artist nominee Luke James and radio personality Tom Joyner.

Additional memorable moments included: Charlie Wilson showing Cedric the Entertainer how to romance a woman; Eddie Levert singing “Casanova”; and the super group TGT, composed of Tank, Ginuwine and Tyrese.

The Soul Train Awards 2012 premieres on BET across sub-Saharan Africa on Saturday 16 March 2013 at 22:00 CAT on Top TV #190 (South Africa), Zuku #125 (Kenya), DStv #135 (pan-Africa excluding South Africa), GOtv #22 (Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), Startimes (Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Guinea, Central African Republic, Burundi, Mozambique, Senegal), MyTV (Nigeria) and ZAP #74 (Angola, Mozambique).

For more information on the Soul Train Awards 2012, please go to www.BETcom/SoulTrain and Tweet on Twitter using the hashtag #SoulTrainAwards.  For more information about BET, please join us on Facebook at www.facebook/bet_africa, or follow us on Twitter @BET_Africa.__kelvin nkya