Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter lead 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations

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