Today, January 8, 2026, iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment officially pulled back the curtain on the nominees for the 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards. The star-studded event is scheduled to air live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, celebrating the most-played tracks and artists of 2025.
Swift and Carpenter Dominate the Field
Taylor Swift continues her reign as the most-nominated artist, following a year defined by her record-breaking "The Eras Tour" and the success of her track, "The Fate of Ophelia." Hot on her heels is Sabrina Carpenter, whose hit "Manchild" earned nods for Song of the Year and Pop Song of the Year. Other heavy hitters include Bad Bunny, Alex Warren, and Kendrick Lamar, the latter of whom received multiple nominations for his SZA collaboration, "luther."
The coveted Song of the Year category features a diverse range of 2025's biggest hits:
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia"
Sabrina Carpenter – "Manchild"
Morgan Wallen – "Love Somebody"
Shaboozey – "Good News"
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – "luther"
Fan Power: Social Voting Opens
Staying true to its reputation as a fan-first awards show, iHeartRadio has opened social voting for several popular categories. Starting today, fans can head to iHeartRadio.com/awards to vote for winners in categories such as Best Lyrics, Best Music Video, and Favorite Tour Style.
New categories for 2026 include Favorite TikTok Dance, Favorite Debut Album, and Favorite K-pop Collab, reflecting the digital trends that shaped the previous year. Voting remains open until March 19.
How to Watch
Music fans can catch the ceremony live on FOX at 8:00 p.m. ET (PT tape-delayed) on March 26. The show will also be broadcast across iHeartRadio stations nationwide and via the iHeartRadio app. In addition to the awards, the night will feature world-class performances and a "Summer of ‘26" preview of upcoming hits.
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
“Dirty Work” – aespa feat. Flo Milli
“ExtraL” – JENNIE, Doechii
“EYES CLOSED” – JISOO X ZAYN
“Illegal + SEVENTEEN” – PinkPantheress, SEVENTEEN
“On My Mind” – Alex Warren & ROSÉ
“Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)” – j-hope, Miguel
“TOO BAD” – G-DRAGON feat. Anderson .Paak
“WE PRAY (TWICE Version)” – Coldplay, TWICE, Burna Boy, Elyanna, TINI, Little Simz
