2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards

2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Date	March 26, 2026 (2026-03-26)
Location	Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles
Country	United States
Hosted by	Ludacris
Most awards	Taylor Swift (7)
Most nominations	Taylor Swift (9)
Website	www.iheart.com/music-awards
Television/radio coverage
Network	Fox
←  2025  · iHeartRadio Music Awards

The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 26, 2026, and broadcast live on Fox. ^[1] It was hosted by Ludacris. ^[2]

At the ceremony, Miley Cyrus was honored with the iHeartRadio Innovator Award for her "fearless and dynamic artist" whose journey from Hannah Montana to global icon, combined with her humanitarian advocacy for homeless and at‑risk youth, has made her one of the most influential voices in music and culture. Ludacris was honored with the iHeartRadio Landmark Award for "pioneering force in hip‑hop" whose multi‑platinum albums, Grammy wins, and acclaimed acting roles have shaped culture across decades, making him one of the most successful and influential artists of his generation. ^[3] John Mellencamp was honored with the iHeartRadio Icon Awards for his enduring contributions as a singer‑songwriter whose career‑defining hits such as "Jack & Diane", "Pink Houses", and "Small Town", along with his decades of activism including co‑founding Farm Aid, have made him a central figure in American music and culture. ^[4]

Performers

The first lineup of performers was announced on March 11. ^[5] The second lineup of performers was announced on March 19. ^[6]

Performers at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards

Performer(s)	Song(s)
Alex Warren	"Ordinary" "Fever Dream"
Lainey Wilson	"Wildflowers and Wild Horses" "Hang Tight Honey" "Heart Like a Truck"
TLC En Vogue Salt-N-Pepa DJ Spinderella	"Hold On" "Waterfalls" "Shoop" "What a Man" "Creep" "No Scrubs" "Free Your Mind" "Push It"
John Mellencamp	"Jack & Diane" "Pink Houses"
Kehlani	"Folded"
Raye	"Where Is My Husband!"
Ludacris	"Pull Over" "Rollout (My Business)" "Money Maker" "My Chick Bad" "Stand Up" "Move Bitch"

Winners and nominees

iHeartRadio announced the nominees on January 8, 2026. ^[7] Taylor Swift led with nine nominations. She is followed by Alex Warren, Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter with eight nominations each. ^[8] A new fan-voted category for Live Performers was announced on March 31. ^[9]

Winners are listed first and in bold. ^[10]

Main categories

Song of the Year	Artist of the Year
"Ordinary" – Alex Warren "Anxiety" – Doechii "Good News" – Shaboozey "Love Somebody" – Morgan Wallen "Luther" – Kendrick Lamar and SZA "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter "Mutt" – Leon Thomas "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else" – Benson Boone "Stargazing" – Myles Smith "The Fate of Ophelia" – Taylor Swift	Taylor Swift Bad Bunny Benson Boone Chris Brown Jelly Roll Kendrick Lamar Lady Gaga Morgan Wallen Sabrina Carpenter Tate McRae
Duo/Group of the Year	Best Collaboration
Huntrix: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami Linkin Park Shinedown Twenty One Pilots Maroon 5	"APT." – Rosé and Bruno Mars "All the Way" – BigXthaPlug featuring Bailey Zimmerman "Luther" – Kendrick Lamar and SZA "Timeless" – The Weeknd featuring Playboi Carti "Whatchu Kno About Me" – GloRilla featuring Sexyy Red
Pop Artist of the Year	Best New Pop Artist
Sabrina Carpenter Alex Warren Benson Boone Tate McRae Taylor Swift	Alex Warren Jessie Murph Myles Smith Ravyn Lenae Sombr
Pop Song of the Year	Country Song of the Year
"The Fate of Ophelia" – Taylor Swift "Golden" – Huntrix: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter "Ordinary" – Alex Warren "Pink Pony Club" – Chappell Roan	"Good News" – Shaboozey "After All the Bars Are Closed" – Thomas Rhett "Liar" – Jelly Roll "Love Somebody" – Morgan Wallen "Whiskey Drink" – Jason Aldean
Country Artist of the Year	Best New Country Artist
Morgan Wallen Jason Aldean Jelly Roll Lainey Wilson Luke Combs	Ella Langley Chase Matthew Hudson Westbrook Josh Ross Zach Top
Hip-Hop Song of the Year	Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
"Luther" – Kendrick Lamar and SZA "Outside" – Cardi B "Nokia" – Drake "The Largest" – BigXthaPlug "Whatchu Kno About Me" – GloRilla featuring Sexyy Red	Kendrick Lamar Cardi B GloRilla Playboi Carti Tyler, the Creator
Best New Hip-Hop Artist	R&B Song of the Year
Real Boston Richey Moliy Pluto YKNiece Zeddy Will	"Folded" – Kehlani "Burning Blue" – Mariah the Scientist "Mutt" – Leon Thomas "Residuals" – Chris Brown "Somebody Loves Me" – PartyNextDoor & Drake
R&B Artist of the Year	Best New R&B Artist
Chris Brown Kehlani Leon Thomas Mariah the Scientist SZA	Leon Thomas Jenevieve Kwn Mariah the Scientist Sailorr
World Artist of the Year	Alternative Song of the Year
Moliy Ayra Starr Jackson Wang JO1 Tyla	"Ensenada" – Sublime "Back to Friends" – Sombr "One Eyed Bastard" – Green Day "Stargazing" – Myles Smith "The Contract" – Twenty One Pilots
Alternative Artist of the Year	Best New Alternative Artist
Twenty One Pilots Cage the Elephant Green Day Linkin Park Sublime	Sombr Almost Monday Gigi Perez Lola Young Role Model
Rock Song of the Year	Rock Artist of the Year
"Heavy Is the Crown" – Linkin Park "Afterlife" – Evanescence "Bad Guy" – Falling in Reverse featuring Saraya "Dance, Kid, Dance" – Shinedown "Even If It Kills Me" – Papa Roach	Shinedown Linkin Park Papa Roach Sleep Token Three Days Grace
Best New Rock Artist	Dance Song of the Year
Sleep Theory Architects Poppy Return to Dust Spiritbox	"No Broke Boys" – Disco Lines and Tinashe "Blessings" – Calvin Harris featuring Clementine Douglas "In My Arms" – Illenium and Hayla "Save My Love" – Marshmello, Ellie Goulding and Avaion "Won't Be Possible" – Tiësto, Odd Mob and Goodboys
Dance Artist of the Year	Latin Pop/Urban Song of the Year
David Guetta Calvin Harris John Summit Martin Garrix Tiësto	"DTMF" – Bad Bunny "Angel" – Grupo Frontera and Romeo Santos "Degenere" – Myke Towers and Benny Blanco "Qué Pasaría..." – Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny "Soltera" – Shakira
Latin Pop/Urban Artist of the Year	Best New Latin/Urban Artist
Bad Bunny Feid J Balvin Karol G Shakira	Beéle Alleh Mezher De La Rose Dei V Louis BPM
Regional Mexican Song of the Year	Regional Mexican Artist of the Year
"Amor Bonito" – Luis Angel "El Flaco" "El Amor de Mi Vida" – Calibre 50 "Flores" – Xavi "Hecha Pa' Mi" – Grupo Frontera "Lejos Estamos Mejor" – Edén Muñoz	Grupo Frontera Alejandro Fernández Carín León Fuerza Regida Luis Angel "El Flaco"
Best New Regional Mexican Artist	K-Pop Artist of the Year
Los Dos De Tamaulipas Clave Especial Edgardo Nuñez Óscar Maydon Oscar Ortiz	Rosé Jennie J-Hope Jin Lisa
K-Pop Group of the Year	K-pop Song of the Year
Stray Kids Ateez Blackpink Enhypen Twice	"Golden" – Huntrix: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami "APT." – Rosé and Bruno Mars "Jump" – Blackpink "Killin' It Girl" – J-Hope featuring GloRilla "Like Jennie" – Jennie
Best K-pop New Artist	Songwriter of the Year
Cortis 82Major AllDay Project Hearts2Hearts Meovv	Amy Allen Ashley Gorley Cal Shapiro Charlie Handsome Julia Michaels
Producer of the Year	Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Andrew Watt Dijon Jack Antonoff Max Martin and Shellback Sounwave	Alex Warren
	Album of the Year
	The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift
Album of the Year (per genre)
Alternative: I Barely Know Her – Sombr Country: I'm the Problem – Morgan Wallen Dance: Mayhem – Lady Gaga Hip-Hop: GNX – Kendrick Lamar K-Pop: Ruby – Jennie Latin Pop/Urban: Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny Pop: The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift R&B: Pholks – Leon Thomas Regional Mexican: 111xpantia – Fuerza Regida Rock: Even in Arcadia – Sleep Token

Socially voted categories

Best Lyrics	Best Music Video
"The Fate of Ophelia" – Taylor Swift "Anxiety" – Doechii "Baile Inolvidable" – Bad Bunny "Camera" – Ed Sheeran "Choosin' Texas" – Ella Langley "Daisies" – Justin Bieber "Golden" – Huntrix: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami "Man I Need" – Olivia Dean "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter "Ordinary" – Alex Warren "Undressed" – Sombr "Where Is My Husband!" – Raye	"The Fate of Ophelia" – Taylor Swift "Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga "Baile Inolvidable" – Bad Bunny "Born Again" – Lisa featuring Doja Cat and Raye "Gabriela" – Katseye "Jump" – Blackpink "Like Jennie" – Jennie "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter "Ordinary" – Alex Warren "Sapphire" – Ed Sheeran "Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)" – Moliy, Shenseea, Skillibeng and Silent Addy "Toxic Till the End" – Rosé
Favorite Debut Album	Favorite K-pop Collab
You'll Be Alright, Kid – Alex Warren Addison – Addison Rae Who's the Clown? – Audrey Hobert Order Chaos Order – Calum Hood Why Not More? – Coco Jones That's Showbiz Baby – Jade Ruby – Jennie Alter Ego – Lisa Sidequest – Michael Clifford Perrie – Perrie I Barely Know Her – Sombr What Not To – Tucker Wetmore	"Sweet Dreams" – J-Hope featuring Miguel "Blink" – Corbyn Besson and Tzuyu of Twice "Born Again" – Lisa featuring Doja Cat and Raye "Buck" – Jackson Wang featuring Diljit Dosanjh "Confessions" – Flo Rida, Heeseung and Jake of Enhypen, and Paul Russell "Dirty Work" – Aespa featuring Flo Milli "ExtraL" – Jennie and Doechii "Eyes Closed" – Jisoo and Zayn "Illegal" – PinkPantheress and Seventeen "On My Mind" – Alex Warren and Rosé "Too Bad" – G-Dragon featuring Anderson .Paak "We Pray (Twice version)" – Coldplay, Twice, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and Tini
Favorite TikTok Dance	Favorite On Screen
"Mona Lisa" – J-Hope "Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga "Gnarly" – Katseye "Go!" – Cortis "Happen to Me" – Russell Dickerson "Jump" – Blackpink "Like Jennie" – Jennie "Midnight Sun" – Zara Larsson "Revolving Door" – Tate McRae "Spaghetti" – Le Sserafim and J-Hope "The Fate of Ophelia" – Taylor Swift	Jimin and Jung Kook – Are You Sure? AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, and Kelly Rowland – Building the Band Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good Bad Bunny – Happy Gilmore 2 Becky G – Rebecca Ed Sheeran – One Shot with Ed Sheeran: A Musical Experience Jonas Brothers – A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Karol G – Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful Lady Gaga – Wednesday Lisa – The White Lotus Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift: The End of an Era Zara Larsson – Up Close
Favorite Tour Photographer	Favorite Tour Style
Rahul Bhatt – Katseye Abby Waisler – Gracie Abrams Adam DeGross – Post Malone Anna Lee – Coldplay Baeth – Tate McRae Chris Cornejo – Shakira Cynthia Parkhurst – Katy Perry Henry Hwu – Billie Eilish Hyghly – The Weeknd Joshua Halling – Oasis Thomas Falcone – Shawn Mendes Tom Pallant – Yungblud	Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter Tour Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Blackpink – Deadline World Tour Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism Tour Ella Langley – Still Hungover Tour Katseye – Beautiful Chaos Tour Lady Gaga – The Mayhem Ball Sabrina Carpenter – Short n' Sweet Tour Tate McRae – Miss Possessive Tour Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun Tour
Favorite Tour Tradition	Favorite Broadway Debut
Coldplay – Crowd cam Benson Boone – Cover song Beyoncé – Blue Ivy and Rumi on stage Billie Eilish – "When the Party's Over" silent loop Dua Lipa – Surprise guest Jonas Brothers – Surprise guest Katseye – "Gnarly" dance break Lainey Wilson – Cowgirl of the night Role Model – Sally Sabrina Carpenter – Celebrity "Juno" arrest Tate McRae – Fan cam on stage Zara Larsson – "Lush Life" star	Tom Felton – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Ashley Graham – Chicago Cheryl Porter – & Juliet Durrell "Tank" Babbs – Hell's Kitchen Gabrielle Nevaeh Green – Stranger Things: The First Shadow Jack Wolfe – Hadestown Kelsie Watts – Six! The Musical Lencia Kebede – Wicked Lizzy McAlpine – Floyd Collins Meg Donnelly – Moulin Rouge! The Musical Ne-Yo – Hell's Kitchen Trisha Paytas – Beetlejuice
Favorite Soundtrack	Fan Favorite Live Performer of the Year
KPop Demon Hunters A Very Jonas Christmas Movie F1 Frankenstein Nobody Wants This – Season 2 Sinners Smurfs Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere Tron: Ares Wicked: For Good Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires	Billie Eilish Lady Gaga Sabrina Carpenter Kendrick Lamar Tyler, The Creator Morgan Wallen Oasis Beyoncé The Weeknd Bad Bunny

Special awards

iHeartRadio Innovator	iHeartRadio Landmark Award
Miley Cyrus	Ludacris
iHeartRadio Icon Award
John Mellencamp

Multiple nominations

The following received multiple nominations:

9 nominations Taylor Swift Bad Bunny Sabrina Carpenter

8 nominations Alex Warren Morgan Wallen Kendrick Lamar

7 nominations SZA

6 nominations Benson Boone Lady Gaga Tate McRae

5 nominations Myles Smith Blackpink

4 nominations Huntrix: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami Jelly Roll Chris Brown GloRilla

References

1. Sherman, Maria (January 8, 2026). "Taylor Swift leads the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Award nominations, followed by Bad Bunny and more". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
2. Irvin, Jack (March 12, 2026). "iHeartRadio Music Awards 2026: Ludacris Returns as Host, Miley Cyrus to Receive Honor, Lainey Wilson to Perform and More". People . Archived from the original on March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
3. Grein, Paul (March 11, 2026). "Miley Cyrus to Receive Innovator Award at 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards". Billboard . Archived from the original on March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
4. Fields, Taylor (March 19, 2026). "John Mellencamp To Receive Icon Award At 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards". IHeartRadio . Archived from the original on March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
5. "The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards Airing Thursday, March 26 on FOX to Feature Performances by Alex Warren, Lainey Wilson, Ludacris, RAYE, TLC, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa and More Live from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles". IHeartRadio . March 11, 2026. Archived from the original on March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
6. Grein, Paul (March 19, 2026). "Taylor Swift Set to Appear at 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards; John Mellencamp & Kehlani Added as Performers". Billboard . Archived from the original on March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
7. Fields, Taylor (January 8, 2026). "2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards: See The Full List Of Nominees". iHeartRadio . Retrieved January 8, 2026.
8. Millman, Ethan (January 8, 2026). "iHeartRadio Music Award Nominations: Taylor Swift Leads With Nine". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 9, 2026.
9. https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-03-31-iheartradio-pollstar-team-up-to-launch-fan-voted-live-performer-award/
10. Fisher, Kelly (March 26, 2026). "2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards: See The Complete List Of Winners Revealed". iHeartRadio . Retrieved March 26, 2026.