iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment have announced the nominees for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, set to air live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26. The broadcast will be available on FOX from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET (live) and PT (tape-delayed), as well as on iHeartRadio stations across the country and via the iHeartRadio app.
The awards show, now in its 13th year, will recognize the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio platforms during 2025 and offer a look at anticipated hits for 2026. Categories span various music genres, with awards presented to both established names and emerging artists. The event will also feature live performances, guest appearances, collaborations, and stories highlighting the journeys of artists to their top positions.
“This is an annual awards show made exclusively for fans, celebrating the biggest songs and artists they’ve loved listening to on iHeartRadio stations and our iHeartRadio app all year long,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises and Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer of iHeartMedia. “FOX viewers will also get an exclusive preview of some of the songs they’ll be listening to in the Summer of ‘26.”
Taylor Swift leads this year’s nominations, followed by Alex Warren, Bad Bunny, and Sabrina Carpenter. Other artists receiving multiple nominations include Benson Boone, BLACKPINK, Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, Ella Langley, GloRilla, Grupo Frontera, Jelly Roll, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, Mariah the Scientist, Morgan Wallen, SZA, Tate McRae, Twenty One Pilots and Zara Larsson.
Fans are again invited to participate by voting in several categories through social voting at iHeartRadio.com/awards until March 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT. New fan-voted categories for this year include Favorite Broadway Debut and Favorite TikTok Dance.
The show’s major award categories include Song of the Year—where nominees range from Doechii’s “Anxiety” to Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia”—and Artist of the Year featuring names such as Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar alongside Swift. Pop-focused honors include Pop Artist of the Year and Pop Song of the Year; other genres like Country, Hip-Hop, R&B, Alternative Rock and K-pop each have dedicated artist and song recognitions.
Socially voted categories highlight areas such as Best Lyrics or Best Music Video. For example: Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” appears in both Song of the Year and Best Lyrics categories; Alex Warren is up for Best New Artist (Pop) among others.
Since its inception in 2014—the show has hosted performances by high-profile musicians including Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande and Beyoncé—and past winners have included Benson Boone (Song of the Year), Taylor Swift (Artist of the Year), Billie Eilish (Album of the Year). In 2025 Mariah Carey received the Icon Award while Lady Gaga was honored with Innovator Award.
A complete list of nominees can be found at iHeartRadio.com/awards. Updates about breaking news or exclusive content related to this year’s event are available through that site or via social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Artists or events are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
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About FOX Entertainment
FOX Entertainment is a global media brand with nearly four decades in broadcasting original series across its network platforms worldwide. Its business units include FOX Television Network; FOX Entertainment Studios—which produces unscripted hits like The Masked Singer as well as scripted comedies such as Animal Control—and FOX Entertainment Global responsible for content sales internationally.
FOX Entertainment Studios works with partners such as Disney+, Netflix Apple+, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Television among others for production collaborations across genres ranging from animation (via Bento Box Entertainment) to culinary programming (with Studio Ramsay Global). The company continues to expand its portfolio with new releases under its film label Tideline Entertainment.
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