Alex Warren, Benson Boone, Doechii, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Leon Thomas, Morgan Wallen, Myles Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey and Taylor Swift nominated for Song of the Year at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Taylor Swift leads with most nominations followed by Alex Warren, Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter
The annual awards show airs live from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 26 on FOX
NEW YORK, January 08, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment today announced the nominees for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards airing LIVE from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 26 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET live / PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The event will also be heard on iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.
The 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2025, while also offering a preview of the upcoming hits of 2026. The show will feature award presentations in multiple categories, live performances from the biggest artists in music, surprise guests and collaborations, and will showcase the stories of the winning artists’ road to #1.
“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.”
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Artists receiving several nominations include Alex Warren, Bad Bunny, Benson Boone, BLACKPINK, Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, Ella Langley, GloRilla, Grupo Frontera, HUNTR/X: EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI, Jelly Roll, JENNIE, j-hope, KATSEYE, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Linkin Park, LISA, Mariah the Scientist, MOLIY, Morgan Wallen, Myles Smith, RAYE, ROSÉ, Sabrina Carpenter, Shinedown, sombr, SZA, Tate McRae, Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots and Zara Larsson. All nominees are listed below.
In addition to paying tribute to music and artists, the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards will again celebrate the fans, giving iHeartRadio listeners the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Favorite Broadway Debut, Favorite TikTok Dance, Favorite Debut Album, Best Lyrics, Best Music Video, Favorite On Screen, Favorite Tour Photographer, Favorite Soundtrack, Favorite Tour Style, Favorite Tour Tradition and Favorite K-pop Collab. Social voting begins today, January 8, and will close on March 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT for all categories. Fans can vote by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.
This year’s awards will once again feature a broad array of categories:
Song of the Year:
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“Good News” – Shaboozey
“Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“MUTT” – Leon Thomas
“Ordinary” – Alex Warren
“Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” – Benson Boone
“Stargazing” – Myles Smith
“The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
Artist of the Year:
Bad Bunny
Benson Boone
Chris Brown
Jelly Roll
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift
Pop Artist of the Year:
Alex Warren
Benson Boone
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift
Pop Song of the Year:
“Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Ordinary” – Alex Warren
“Pink Pony Club” – Chappell Roan
“The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
Best New Artist (Pop):
Alex Warren
Jessie Murph
Myles Smith
Ravyn Lenae
sombr
Duo/Group of the Year:
HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
Linkin Park
Maroon 5
Shinedown
Twenty One Pilots
Best Collaboration:
“All The Way” – BigXthaPlug ft. Bailey Zimmerman
“APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Timeless” – The Weeknd ft. Playboi Carti
“WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red
Country Song of the Year:
“After All The Bars Are Closed” – Thomas Rhett
“Good News” – Shaboozey
“Liar” – Jelly Roll
“Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
“Whiskey Drink” – Jason Aldean
Country Artist of the Year:
Jason Aldean
Jelly Roll
Lainey Wilson
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Best New Artist (Country):
Chase Matthew
Ella Langley
Hudson Westbrook
Josh Ross
Zach Top
Hip-Hop Song of the Year:
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“NOKIA” – Drake
“Outside” – Cardi B
“The Largest” – BigXthaPlug
“WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red
Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:
Cardi B
GloRilla
Kendrick Lamar
Playboi Carti
Tyler, The Creator
Best New Artist (Hip-Hop):
MOLIY
PLUTO
Real Boston Richey
YKNIECE
ZEDDY WILL
R&B Song of the Year:
“Burning Blue” – Mariah the Scientist
“Folded” – Kehlani
“MUTT” – Leon Thomas
“Residuals” – Chris Brown
“SOMEBODY LOVES ME” – PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake
R&B Artist of the Year:
Chris Brown
Kehlani
Leon Thomas
Mariah the Scientist
SZA
Best New Artist (R&B):
Jenevieve
Kwn
Leon Thomas
Mariah the Scientist
Sailorr
World Artist of the Year:
Ayra Starr
Jackson Wang
JO1
MOLIY
Tyla
Alternative Song of the Year:
“Back To Friends” – sombr
“Ensenada” – Sublime
“One Eyed Bastard” – Green Day
“Stargazing” – Myles Smith
“The Contract” – Twenty One Pilots
Alternative Artist of the Year:
Cage the Elephant
Green Day
Linkin Park
Sublime
Twenty One Pilots
Best New Artist (Alternative):
almost monday
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Role Model
sombr
Rock Song of the Year:
“Afterlife” – Evanescence
“Bad Guy” – Falling In Reverse ft. Saraya
“Dance, Kid, Dance” – Shinedown
“Even If It Kills Me” – Papa Roach
“Heavy Is the Crown” – Linkin Park
Rock Artist of the Year:
Linkin Park
Papa Roach
Shinedown
Sleep Token
Three Days Grace
Best New Artist (Rock):
Architects
Poppy
Return to Dust
Sleep Theory
Spiritbox
Dance Song of the Year:
“Blessings” – Calvin Harris feat. Clementine Douglas
“In My Arms” – ILLENIUM & HAYLA
“No Broke Boys” – Disco Lines & Tinashe
“Save My Love” – Marshmello, Ellie Goulding and AVAION
“Won’t Be Possible” – Tiësto, Odd Mob & Goodboys
Dance Artist of the Year:
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
John Summit
Martin Garrix
Tiësto
Latin Pop/Urban Song of the Year:
“Angel” – Grupo Frontera & Romeo Santos
“DEGENERE” – Myke Towers & benny blanco
“DtMF” – Bad Bunny
“Qué Pasaría…” – Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny
“Soltera” – Shakira
Latin Pop/Urban Artist of the Year:
Bad Bunny
Feid
J Balvin
Karol G
Shakira
Best New Artist (Latin Pop/Urban):
Alleh Mezher
Beéle
De La Rose
Dei V
Louis BPM
Regional Mexican Song 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” – Eden Muñoz
Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:
Alejandro Fernández
Carin León
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Frontera
Luis Angel “El Flaco”
Best New Artist (Regional Mexican):
Clave Especial
Edgardo Nuñez
Los Dos De Tamaulipas
Óscar Maydon
Oscar Ortiz
K-pop Artist of the Year:
JENNIE
j-hope
Jin
LISA
ROSÉ
K-pop Group of the Year:
ATEEZ
BLACKPINK
ENHYPEN
Stray Kids
TWICE
K-pop Song of the Year:
“APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
“Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
“JUMP” – BLACKPINK
“Killin’ It Girl” – j-hope feat. GloRilla
“like JENNIE” – JENNIE
Best New Artist (K-pop):
82Major
AllDay Project
Cortis
Hearts2Hearts
Meovv
Songwriter of the Year:
Amy Allen
Ashley Gorley
Cal Shapiro
Charlie Handsome
Julia Michaels
Producer of the Year:
Andrew Watt
Dijon
Jack Antonoff
Max Martin & Shellback
Sounwave
Favorite Broadway Debut: *Socially Voted Category
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”
Tom Felton, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
Trisha Paytas, “Beetlejuice”
(New for 2026) Favorite TikTok Dance: *Socially Voted Category
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Gnarly” – KATSEYE
“GO!” – CORTIS
“Happen To Me” – Russell Dickerson
“JUMP” – BLACKPINK
“like JENNIE” – JENNIE
“Midnight Sun” – Zara Larsson
“MONA LISA” – j-hope
“Revolving Door” – Tate McRae
“SPAGHETTI” – LE SSERAFIM, j-hope
“The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
(New for 2026) Favorite Debut Album: *Socially Voted Category
Addison Rae, “Addison”
Alex Warren, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid”
Audrey Hobert, “Who’s the Clown?”
Calum Hood, “ORDER chaos ORDER”
Coco Jones, “Why Not More?”
JADE, “THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!”
JENNIE, “Ruby”
LISA, “Alter Ego”
Michael Clifford, “SIDEQUEST”
Perrie, “Perrie”
sombr, “I Barely Know Her”
Tucker Wetmore, “What Not To”
Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
“Camera” – Ed Sheeran
“Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
“DAISIES” – Justin Bieber
“Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
“Man I Need” – Olivia Dean
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Ordinary” – Alex Warren
“The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
“undressed” – sombr
“WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – RAYE
Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
“BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & 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, Silent Addy
“The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
“toxic till the end” – ROSÉ
Favorite On Screen: *Socially Voted Category
AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, Kelly Rowland, “Building the Band”
Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good”
Bad Bunny, “Happy Gilmore 2”
Becky G, “REBBECA”
Ed Sheeran, “ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran: A Musical Experience”
Jimin and Jungkook, “Are You Sure?!”
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 Eras Tour | The End of an Era”
Zara Larsson, “Up Close”
Favorite Tour Photographer: *Socially Voted Category
Abby Waisler for Gracie Abrams
Adam DeGross for Post Malone
Anna Lee for Coldplay
baeth for Tate McRae
Chris Cornejo for Shakira
Cynthia Parkhurst for Katy Perry
Henry Hwu for Billie Eilish
Hyghly for The Weeknd
Joshua Halling for Oasis
Rahul Bhatt for KATSEYE
Thomas Falcone for Shawn Mendes
Tom Pallant for YUNGBLUD
Favorite Soundtrack: *Socially Voted Category
“A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (Original Soundtrack)”
“F1 the Album”
“Frankenstein (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)”
“KPop Demon Hunters”
“Nobody Wants This Season 2: The Soundtrack”
“Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
“Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (Music From & Inspired By)”
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”
“Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
“Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack”
“Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Original Soundtrack)”
Favorite Tour Style: *Socially Voted Category
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”
Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour”
Zara Larsson, “Midnight Sun Tour”
Favorite Tour Tradition: *Socially Voted Category
Benson Boone, Cover song
Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & Rumi on stage
Billie Eilish, “when the party’s over” silent loop
Coldplay, Crowd cam
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
(New for 2026) Favorite K-pop Collab: *Socially Voted Category
“Blink” – Corbyn Besson & TZUYU of TWICE
“BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
“BUCK” – Jackson Wang feat. Diljit Dosanjh
“Confessions” – Flo Rida, HEESEUNG & JAKE of ENHYPEN, Paul Russell
Additional categories include Label of the Year and individual winners for Album of the Year in music’s biggest genres, including Pop, Country, Alternative, Rock, Dance, Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin and Regional Mexican formats.
Since the iHeartRadio Music Awards’ inception in 2014, the show has included live performances and appearances by superstar artists, such as Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Blake Shelton, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Big Sean, Bon Jovi, Bruno Mars, Cher, Chris Martin, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Justin Bieber, Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, P!NK, Pitbull, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and many others. Among the many winners of the 2025 Awards were Benson Boone for Song of the Year; Taylor Swift for Artist of the Year; and Billie Eilish for Album of the Year. The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards also honored Mariah Carey with the 2025 iHeartRadio Icon Award and Lady Gaga with the 2025 iHeartRadio Innovator Award.
For breaking news and exclusive iHeartRadio Music Awards content, visit iHeartRadio.com/awards or follow the social buzz on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Artists and/or events subject to change or cancellation without notice.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
About FOX Entertainment
With a legacy spanning nearly 40 years, FOX Entertainment is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands and a prolific content producer across its iconic broadcast network and both owned and third-party platforms worldwide. Known for its independent, innovative spirit and provocative, groundbreaking storytelling, the company includes three key business units: FOX Television Network, FOX Entertainment Studios and worldwide content sales and licensing unit FOX Entertainment Global.
While maintaining its leadership in linear television with an exceptional slate of original series – including Doc,Extracted, Memory of a Killer, The Masked Singer,The Floor, The Simpsons, Animal Control, Going Dutch, Murder in a Small Town, Hell’s Kitchen and LEGO Masters – FOX Entertainment is growing its portfolio of studio engines, business operations and library of owned original content.
To date, the FOX Entertainment Studios division includes its in-house unscripted studio with hits The Masked Singer, I Can See Your Voice and Name That Tune, and scripted content studio featuring comedies Animal Control and Going Dutch and signature drama series Best Medicine, The Faithful,The Way Home and The Chicken Sisters. The unit also oversees the award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment with animated comedies including Krapopolis, Grimsburg, Hazbin Hotel and Universal Basic Guys; entertainment platform TMZ with its tentpole primetime series TMZ Investigates; its new independent film label Tideline Entertainment with inaugural releases including First Time Female Director, Ponyboi and Slanted; and the culinary and lifestyle content venture Studio Ramsay Global in partnership with iconic chef Gordon Ramsay, featuring food-themed original series on FOX such as Next Level Chef, Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, as well as the new next-gen global food brand and entertainment platform Bite, No Taste Like Home on Disney+, Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars on Apple+ and a new untitled Gordon Ramsay documentary series on Netflix in early 2026.
As a global content creator and production partner, FOX Entertainment Studios collaborates with studios and platforms worldwide, including Disney, Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures Television, Prime Video, Netflix, Apple+, Hallmark, Lifetime, TelevisaUnivision, UK’s Channel 4, France’s TF1, German’s ProSieben, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia’s Foxtel and FOX-owned streamer Tubi, among others.
