Nominations for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards have been unveiled, and some of music’s biggest names are at the top of the list. Taylor Swift leads the field with nine nominations, reaffirming her reign after a stellar 2025. Close behind, reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny and pop singer Sabrina Carpenter earned eight nods each, underlining their big year in music.
Swift’s haul is no surprise after a blockbuster year: her latest album The Life of a Showgirl and its lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” (which spent nine weeks at No. 1) dominated 2025. Carpenter also reached new heights, scoring her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with the pop anthem “Manchild.” And Bad Bunny kept his momentum going – his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and the Puerto Rican superstar is set to headline next month’s Super Bowl halftime show.
All three are contenders for Artist of the Year, with Swift and Carpenter also vying for Song of the Year. Beyond the main categories, fans can vote in several special categories — like Best Lyrics, Best Music Video and even a new Favorite TikTok Dance — now through March 19.
“This is an annual awards show made exclusively for fans, celebrating the biggest songs and artists they’ve loved all year long,” iHeartMedia president John Sykes said in a statement. He added that this year’s broadcast will even tease some songs likely to dominate summer 2026.
The 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards airs live from Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre on March 26 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. With star performances, surprise collaborations and plenty of fan fervor on tap, it promises to be a night to remember.
