# 1998 Soul Train Music Awards
The **1998 Soul Train Music Awards** were the 12th annual edition of the [Soul Train Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/soul-train-music-awards), an American ceremony honoring achievements in African American music, held on February 27, 1998 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and honoring work released during 1997.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8720632/) The ceremony was hosted by singer [Patti LaBelle](https://www.edgepedia.org/patti-labelle), rapper and host [Heavy D](https://www.edgepedia.org/heavy-d), and singer Erykah Badu, and aired in national broadcast syndication on various networks.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8720632/) • [2](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/movie/the-12th-annual-soul-train-music-awards)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition and date | 12th annual ceremony, February 27, 1998[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8720632/) |
| Venue | Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8720632/) |
| Hosts | Patti LaBelle, Heavy D, and Erykah Badu[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8720632/) |
| Leading winner | Erykah Badu, who won four awards, including Best R&B/Soul Album, Best New Artist, and Album of the Year[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/) |
| Career honor | Whitney Houston received the Quincy Jones Award for Outstanding Career Achievement[4](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/en-ca/news/whitney-houston-honored-1998-soul-train-music-awards/) |
| Broadcast | Aired in syndication on various networks; directed by Ron de Moraes[2](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/movie/the-12th-annual-soul-train-music-awards) |
## Context and format
The Soul Train Music Awards were established in 1987 by [Don Cornelius](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-cornelius), creator of the syndicated dance program *Soul Train*, as a showcase for African American music and entertainment.[5](https://www.jones-massey.com/index.php/en-us/component/jdownloads/?Itemid=1102&catid=688&id=11938&m=0&task=download.send) [Cornelius](https://www.edgepedia.org/cornelius) created the awards to give soul recording artists national television exposure and to address frustration in the black music community over what were perceived as white-dominated award programs.[6](https://sova.si.edu/record/nmah.ac.1223) By 1998 the ceremony had settled at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, which it shared in the same year with the [American Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-music-awards).[7](https://thetvdb.com/series/soul-train-music-awards/allseasons/official) • [8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-26-ca-12163-story.html) The 1998 show fell within days of the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, which had been held on February 25, 1998.[9](https://www.grammy.com/awards/40th-annual-grammy-awards/)
## Nominations
Puff Daddy's nominations spanned album, single, and video categories for work with his group Puff Daddy & the Family, whose album *[No Way Out](https://www.edgepedia.org/no-way-out-puff-daddy-album)* was nominated for both Best R&B/Soul Album (Group, Band or Duo) and R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year, and whose tribute single "I'll Be Missing You" was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Single (Group, Band or Duo) and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video.[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/) Other nominated albums included [Mary J. Blige](https://www.edgepedia.org/mary-j-blige)'s *Share My World*, Janet Jackson's *The Velvet Rope*, Lil' Kim's *Hard Core*, Brandy's *Never Say Never*, and [The Notorious B.I.G.](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-notorious-b-i-g)'s *Life After Death*, which competed for both Best R&B/Soul Album (Male) and Album of the Year.[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
## Winners
**Erykah Badu** dominated the evening. She won Best R&B/Soul Album, Female, for *[Baduizm](https://www.edgepedia.org/baduizm)*; Best R&B/Soul Single, Female, for "On and On"; Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist; and R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year, again for *Baduizm*. Reporting after the ceremony described her as having won all four awards she was nominated for, days after the Grammy ceremony.[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/) • [10](https://issues.felixonline.co.uk/felix_1110.pdf)
Other competitive winners included:
- **The Notorious B.I.G.**, Best R&B/Soul Album, Male, for *Life After Death*, the album he completed before his death in March 1997.[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
- **Dru Hill**, which won both Best R&B/Soul Album and Best R&B/Soul Single in the group, band or duo categories, the latter for "In My Bed".[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
- **Usher**, Best R&B/Soul Single, Male.[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
- **Kirk Franklin and God's Property**, Best Gospel Album for *God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
- **Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112**, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video for "I'll Be Missing You".[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
## The Whitney Houston tribute
[Whitney Houston](https://www.edgepedia.org/whitney-houston) received the Quincy Jones Award for Outstanding Career Achievement in the Field of Entertainment at the ceremony.[4](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/en-ca/news/whitney-houston-honored-1998-soul-train-music-awards/) A tribute segment to Houston featured [Ronald Isley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronald-isley) singing "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", Terry Ellis singing "How Will I Know", Kenny Lattimore singing "I Believe in You and Me", and Monica singing "You Give Good Love".[4](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/en-ca/news/whitney-houston-honored-1998-soul-train-music-awards/)
## Place in the awards season
The 1998 ceremony came at a commercially strong moment for R&B, soul, and hip hop, with the nominated field spanning traditional soul acts ([Gerald Levert](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerald-levert), Keith Sweat, and [Johnny Gill](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-gill) as L.S.G.), the emerging neo-soul movement represented by Badu and Maxwell, and hip hop crossover hits such as "I'll Be Missing You" and "Mo Money Mo Problems".[3](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/) The Soul Train Music Awards Records, including the printed program for the February 27, 1998 ceremony, are held in the Archives Center of the [Smithsonian Institution](https://www.edgepedia.org/smithsonian-institution)'s National Museum of American History.[11](https://www.americanhistory.si.edu/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-1223-ref29)
## References
1. [The 12th Annual Soul Train Music Awards (TV Special 1998), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8720632/)
2. [The 12th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/movie/the-12th-annual-soul-train-music-awards)
3. [Soul Train Awards (1998), IMDb event page](https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005174/1998/1/)
4. [Whitney Houston Honored At 1998 Soul Train Music Awards, Whitney Houston Official Site](https://www.whitneyhouston.com/en-ca/news/whitney-houston-honored-1998-soul-train-music-awards/)
5. [Soul Train Music Awards summary, Jones-Massey](https://www.jones-massey.com/index.php/en-us/component/jdownloads/?Itemid=1102&catid=688&id=11938&m=0&task=download.send)
6. [Soul Train Music Awards Records, Smithsonian Institution](https://sova.si.edu/record/nmah.ac.1223)
7. [Soul Train Music Awards, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/series/soul-train-music-awards/allseasons/official)
8. [Star Wars Escalate for Music Award Shows, Los Angeles Times, January 26, 1998](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jan-26-ca-12163-story.html)
9. [40th Annual Grammy Awards, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/awards/40th-annual-grammy-awards/)
10. [Felix, Issue 1110, 6 March 1998](https://issues.felixonline.co.uk/felix_1110.pdf)
11. [Soul Train Music Awards Program, National Museum of American History](https://www.americanhistory.si.edu/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-1223-ref29)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music institutions and events › Music awards › United States major music awards › Soul Train Music Awards › Soul Train Music Awards ceremonies, 1995–1999*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license