If you like your awards shows a bit more silly fun than serious events, the iHeartRadio Music Awards are the one for you. The trophies don't rival the Grammys and aren't meant to. Instead, there is a heavy fan-vote element to who wins many of the categories, along with an entertaining atmosphere.
In 2026, the awards program will be held on Thursday, March 26, at 8 pm ET. The ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
To watch the festivities, tune into FOX, or you can stream the event on Hulu + Live TV, YouTubeTV, Fox.com, and FuboTV. In some markets, you can also watch on Sling TV. (You'd have to check your local listings for that, of course.)
2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Host, performers, and how to watch
If you want to listen to the show without watching, you can do so for free on iHeartRadio stations in the United States and in the iHeartRadio app. To be fair, music is better heard than seen, so listening only to the awards show might be completely worth it.
The show will be hosted by Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris. He will also be receiving an achievement award for the iHeartRadio Landmark Award, which goes to an artist who has a profound impact on culture over multiple decades.
John Mellencamp will also receive a lifetime achievement award. It's called the iHeartRadio Icon Award. This appears to be for someone who has found high-level success over several decades.
Another person to receive an achievement award is Miley Cyrus. She will get the iHeartRadio Innovator Award which is given to a musical artist who greatly impacts culture. Cyrus began her career, of course, as the star on the Hannah Montana show.
Those performing will include Mellencamp, Ludacris, Alex Warren, Lainey Wilson, RAYE, Kehlani, and, performing for the first time together ever, TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue. That means Taylor Swift isn't going to do a song, but she is expected to appear.
Swift has the most nominations with nine, and is trailed by Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and Alex Warren for the most nods. The latter three each have eight nominations. The main awards look like this:
Song of the Year
- “The Fate of Ophelia” — Taylor Swift
- “Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter
- “Anxiety” — Doechii
- “Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
- “Ordinary” — Alex Warren
- “Good News” — Shaboozey
- “Love Somebody” — Morgan Wallen
- “Stargazing” — Myles Smith
- “Mutt” — Leon Thomas
- “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” — Benson Boone
Artist of the Year
- Taylor Swift
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Lady Gaga
- Kendrick Lamar
- Bad Bunny
- Benson Boone
- Morgan Wallen
- Tate McRae
- Jelly Roll
- Chris Brown
Pop Artist of the Year
- Taylor Swift
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Tate McRae
- Benson Boone
- Alex Warren
Fan voting, which is now over, will determine the following categories: 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.