The 2009 Soul Train Awards finally aired last night after taking over Atlanta several weeks ago. Hosted by Academy Award nominated actors Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, the show was taped at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center and was returning to the stage after being picked up by BET’s new sister station Centric. The annual event returned after a two year hiatus, which began after the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike.

The Don Cornelius founded franchise and awards show brought back plenty of “Love, Peace, and Soul” during its two-hour debut on the new network and performances honored the careers and musical influences of Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson and the legendary Motown records.

My favorite performance of the evening was Raheem DeVaughn’s “Bulletproof” which featured Ludacris and Professor Griff but the most controversial was Toni Braxton’s “Yesterday” featuring Trey Songz.  Braxton’s performance ended with the kiss that some say sparked the demise of her marriage, although that’s highly doubtful.

Click here for photos from the event + in case you missed it last night, you can also catch videos of all the performances below: Continue Reading…