iHeartRadio Music Awards Airs On March 26
The 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards took place on Thursday (March 26), at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony celebrated the biggest names and moments in music.
Hosted by Ludacris, the star-studded evening honored different artists across many genres. Ludacris was also this year’s recipient of the iHeartRadio Landmark Award.
The night featured multiple appearances and awards. Miley Cyrus received the iHeartRadio Innovator Award, while John Mellencamp was presented with the iHeartRadio Icon Award.
Taylor Swift led the night with the most nominations, followed by Bad Bunny, Alex Warren, and Sabrina Carpenter. Winners were determined through a combination of fan votes, streaming, and airplay data.
iHeartRadio Music Awards Announces 2026 Country Winners
The nominees for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards were first revealed back in January, with several country stars in the mix.
“[The show] 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,” iHeart explained at the time. “The show will feature award presentations in multiple categories, live performances from the biggest artists in music, surprise guests and collaborations, and more.”
Multiple country artists were nominated for several awards, including Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, and Shaboozey.
You can check out our full roundup of the night’s winners here.
Lainey Wilson Performs Powerful Medley
For country music fans, one of the standout moments of the evening was an incredible performance by Lainey Wilson. Country singer Jason Aldean introduced Lainey up on stage, saying his friend “knows how to make a number one record.”
Lainey took the stage to perform a stunning medley of her hits, “Wild Flowers and Wild Horses”, “Heart Like A Truck”, and “Hang Tight Honey.” She began her performance rocking a black cowboy hat and long gloves, with a background of wildflowers and stampeding horses behind her.
Lainey then took off her cowboy hat, offering fans a rare look at her without her signature style.
Lainey Wilson without her signature hat!! #iHeartAwards2026 pic.twitter.com/O7IBeNJsTT
— Dana (@shedana) March 27, 2026
Watch a clip of Lainey’s performance at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards below.