The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards took place Thursday night at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre, hosted by Ludacris and broadcast on FOX and iHeartRadio. Taylor Swift led nominations with nine, followed by Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Alex Warren with eight each. The event honored several artists and featured performances by Alex Warren, John Mellencamp and others.
Ludacris hosted the 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards, which aired live from 8 to 10 p.m. ET on March 26. The show celebrates the most-played artists and songs from 2025 on iHeartRadio stations and its app, while previewing 2026 hits. New categories this year include favorite TikTok dance, favorite debut album and favorite K-pop collab. Taylor Swift earned nods for artist of the year, where she faces Bad Bunny, Benson Boone, Chris Brown, Jelly Roll, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae. Song of the year nominees feature “Anxiety” by Doechii, “Good News” by Shaboozey, “Love Somebody” by Morgan Wallen and others. Special honors went to John Mellencamp with the Icon Award, Ludacris with the Landmark Award, Miley Cyrus with the Innovator Award and Alex Warren with Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Performers included Alex Warren, John Mellencamp, Kehlani, Lainey Wilson, Ludacris, RAYE and a first-time joint set by TLC, Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue. In fan-voted categories, Tom Felton won favorite Broadway debut for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, j-hope's “MONA LISA” took favorite TikTok dance, Jimin and Jung Kook claimed favorite on screen for Are You Sure?!, and KPop Demon Hunters won favorite soundtrack. Billboard covered the red carpet and backstage updates as winners were announced live.
