Awards
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Taylor Swift had a jovial backstage run-in with none other than Lenny Kravitz on Monday night at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
“The moment Lenny Kravitz and Taylor Swift met backstage,” the official iHeartRadio account wrote on the behind-the-scenes video on TikTok. In the clip, fans can spot Ice Spice shuffling past before Kravitz stops Swift for a chat.
“Taylor! Girl!” he calls out as the pair hug, with the “Lavender Haze” singer telling the host, “You did amazing!”
From there, Kravitz jokes that the superstar just might have pilfered her sequined, hooded look directly from his flamboyant wardrobe. “OK, you went in my closet, huh? You went in my closet,” he quips while Swift volleys back, “Yeah, absolutely. I was just inspired by you, I was like, ‘My favorite color is…’” before the video cuts out.
While Kravitz MC’d the evening’s star-studded ceremony, Swift took home six awards out of her eight total nominations, including song of the year and best lyrics (for “Anti-Hero”), TikTok bop of the year (for fan fave “Bejeweled”), favorite use of a sample (for using her own “Out of the Woods” in Midnights album cut “Question…?”), pop album of the year (for Midnights) and the special honor of this year’s iHeartRadio Innovator Award.
Accepting the latter award, the superstar spoke about her own trial-by-error process of coming up with new ideas. “I never a single time woke up in the morning and said, ‘You know what I’m gonna do today? I’m gonna innovate stuff,’” she said. “What I did do was make the right decisions for me. People want an example of something working before, but I think the coolest ideas, moves and choices are new ones, ones that set a new precedent. I’m so thankful because my fans have backed me up on things like switching genres or re-recording all my old music.”
Watch Swift and Kravitz’s awards show meet-up below.
The Latin American Music Awards unveiled the first wave of performers set to take center stage in April at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Confirmed for the 8th edition of the awards show are Anuel AA, who will perform “Más Rica Que Ayer”; newlyweds Guaynaa and Lele Pons, who will perform a medley that includes their latest collab “Abajito”; Myke Towers, who will perform his newest track “Mi Droga”; and Prince Royce, who will surprise viewers with an unreleased song.
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Additionally, Spanish newcomer Bad Gyal and Regional Mexican crooner Eden Muñoz will make their Latin AMAs debut. The former will deliver her single “Chulo,” and the latter will offer his viral solo hit “Chale!”
Nominations for the 2023 awards — based on streaming, sales, radio airplay, tours, and even social media interactions data provided by Billboard and Luminate during the eligibility period (Feb. 12, 2022, through Feb. 4, 2023) — are led by Bad Bunny with 11 nominations. He’s followed by Becky G and Daddy Yankee, each with nine nominations; at eight nods each are Grupo Frontera, Karol G, Rauw Alejandro, Romeo Santos, and Rosalía. Meanwhile, Muñoz, Bizarrap, Blessd, Grupo Frontera, Los Lara, Luis Figueroa, Luis R Conriquez, Quevedo, Santa Fe Klan and Yahritza y Su Esencia are nominated in the best new artist category.
Carlos Vives and Pepe Aguilar will be recognized as 2023 Latin AMAs Legacy honorees. This year’s ceremony will be co-hosted by Galilea Montijo Julián Gil and Natti Natasha.
For the first time since its debut on Oct. 8, 2015, on Telemundo, the ceremony will be broadcast live simultaneously on Univision, UNIMÁS, and Galavisión (starting at 7 p.m. ET) after TelevisaUnivision acquired the rights from dick clark productions in September.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards took over the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday night (March 27), celebrating the artists we hear most across the airwaves.
Among some of the big winners of the night were P!nk, who accepted the Icon Award, and Taylor Swift, who was presented with the Innovator Award. “The thing about these exciting nights and moments and especially this award, they’re shining a light on the choices I made that worked out, that turned out to be good ideas,” the superstar, who took a break from her massive The Eras tour to accept the award, told the crowd. “I want everyone to know — especially young people — that the hundreds and thousands of dumb ideas that I had led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail. I try as hard as I can not to fail because it’s embarrassing, but I give myself permission to.
“Make the right choices that make sense for you and someone one day might thing you’re innovative.”
We’ve compiled photos from the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, from the red carpet to backstage and beyond. Check out our gallery below.
PinkPantheress & Ice Spice
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/GI for iHeartRadio
“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” collaborators PinkPantheress and Ice Spice posed backstage at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Becky G
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Becky G stunned on the red carpet before her Karol G collaboration “MAMIII” won Latin pop/reggaeton song of the year.
H.E.R.
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
H.E.R. wore an eye-popping blue suit as she graced the red carpet.
Todrick Hall
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Todrick Hall brought the funk with a snow leopard-lined blazer on the iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet.
Grupo Firme
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Grupo Firme were all smiles on the red carpet.
P!nk
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Icon Award recipient P!nk looked angelic in a flowing white gown and sleek blazer.
Phoebe Bridgers & Taylor Swift
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/GI for iHeartRadio
Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift shared a photo backstage before the “I Know the End” singer presented Swift with the Innovator Award.
Ice Spice
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Ice Spice was cool as, well, ice as she rocked a black and white mini dress on the red carpet.
Big Time Rush
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson and James Maslow of Big Time Rush rocked big grins and sunglasses upon joining the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Phoebe Bridgers
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Phoebe Bridgers paired her satin dress with a vampy black lip, bringing the ultimate cool girl energy.
Lenny Kravitz
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
The evening’s host Lenny Kravitz elevated the simple black suit look with shiny wide-leg pants and an asymmetrical blazer.
Nicole Scherzinger
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Nicole Scherzinger glowed in a strapless pink gown, which she paired with a matching eyeshadow look and sleek straight hair.
Cole Swindell
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Cole Swindell added to his all-black look with a satin varsity jacket and a black baseball cap.
Heidi Klum
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Heidi Klum turned heads with her sequined, cut-out blue gown, which she completed with a mermaid-inspired “wet” hair look.
Latto
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Latto brought the “Big Energy” to the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards ina sultry red leather dress and voluminous curls.
Benson Boone
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Benson Boone paired his tailored white pants with an ethereal, see-through floral shirt. He added to the spring vibes with a pair of white sunglasses.
TLC
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins of TLC both wore unique takes on a black pantsuit as they walked the red carpet together.
Bebe Rexha
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Bebe Rexha gave old Hollywood glamour with her velvet off-the-shoulder gown and blonde updo.
Doja Cat
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Doja Cat dominated the red carpet in black leather trousers and a clean white tee, topped with a floor length faux fur coast and sunglasses.
Madison Beer
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
Madison Beer shined bright like a diamond ina sparkling mini-dress, complete with silver stilletos and hoop earrings.
The tribute concert for the Gershwin Prize, designated each year by the Library of Congress to fete an artist’s lifetime contribution to popular music, is by its very nature a love fest. The fact that this year’s event ratcheted up the heartstrings even more than usual is a testament to its 2023 honoree, Joni Mitchell.
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The show, which took place earlier this month in Washington, D.C., and airs Friday (March 31) on PBS, brought out a cavalcade of well-wishers, musical talent and friends. That included Brandi Carlile (who, besides performing, acted as an intermittent MC), James Taylor, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Marcus Mumford, Graham Nash, Angélique Kidjo, Ledisi, Diana Krall and Herbie Hancock.
Mitchell, 79, was an obvious choice for this year’s Gershwin. She’s received a host of recent accolades since she made a remarkable recovery after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her hospitalized. She received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2021, was celebrated as MusiCares’ 2022 Person of the Year and received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music the same year.
Seated front and center in DAR Constitution Hall, which added rows of chairs in front of the stage to accommodate a full house of invitation-only fans and Capitol Hill luminaries, Mitchell swayed and smiled throughout the night, clearly relishing the celebration.
Carlile, who performed her professed favorite Mitchell song, the title track from her 2007 album Shine, sprinkled in stories of spending time with Mitchell during her convalescence and Mitchell’s triumphant return to the Newport Folk Festival last year, where she performed 13 songs.
“The songs of Joni Mitchell, like the woman, speak to innocence and experience, success and failure, overcoming odds, falling short,” Carlile told the crowd. “[Last summer] she showed the world that it was not done with Joni Mitchell, and she showed the world that she was not done with us. All of us on stage here tonight just couldn’t let anything pass without recognition of Joni’s courage, her determination, her spirit, will and grit.”
The performances were strong across the board, all delivered with reverence on a stage that was adorned with images of some of Mitchell’s paintings. And the band comprised musicians who are longtime collaborators and friends of Mitchell, including music director Greg Phillinganes.
Mumford got things started with “Carey,” from Mitchell’s cherished 1971 album Blue. Lennox soared with power and passion on the timeless “Both Sides Now.” Kidjo got creative with her time in the spotlight: while performing Mitchell’s Billboard Adult Contemporary No. 1 “Help Me,” she hopped off the stage and delivered a portion of the song directly to Mitchell, who obliged by dancing along in her seat.
Describing her contribution “Big Yellow Taxi,” Ledisi said Mitchell wanted listeners to understand the importance of maintaining the balance of the natural world, “but she did it in an almost subversive way, wrapping the message in a universally easy-to-sing chorus that sneaks up on you and then hits you in the face with the importance of taking action.”
Nash, who shared a long-resonating love affair with Mitchell between 1968-70, recalled meeting her in 1967. “She took me to her room and played me probably over a dozen of the most incredible songs I’ve ever heard in my life,” he said, before launching into “A Case of You,” which was highlighted by photos of the two in their younger years.
Lauper gave a lilting performance of title track to Blue, though she immediately had to do a second take when Ken Ehrlich of Ken Ehrlich Productions made one of a few mid-show appearances to make sure the event would be ready for its primetime debut. (When Ehrlich came out, halted Taylor’s silky, buttery performance of “California” and asked him to start over, Taylor quipped, “Is this the part where you come in?”)
Excitement was palpable leading to the finale, when a beaming Mitchell rose from her seat and took the stage.
“This is such a great honor; it’s so exciting to see all of these musicians I admire preforming my music. And I wanted to express my gratitude by singing a Gershwin song,” she said, before launching into a jaunty rendition of “Summertime,” which she followed up with her own iconic “The Circle Game,” joined by the cast of performers.
The laureates for the 2023 Polar Music Prize have been revealed. They are Chris Blackwell, who founded Island Records, one of the U.K.’s most successful independent labels; Angélique Kidjo, dubbed “Africa’s premier diva” by Time; and Arvo Pärt, who created the minimalist compositional style known as tintinnabuli, and is one of the most-performed classical composers in the world. All three will be honored in the presence of the Swedish Royal Family at a ceremony and banquet on May 23 at Stockholm’s Grand Hotel.
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The prestigious Polar Music Prize was created by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, famed Swedish writer/producer/label owner/publisher and manager of ABBA, and first presented in 1992. This year’s laureates, who will all be in attendance, will each receive a cash prize of 600,00 Swedish kronor (approx. $58,000 U.S.).
Blackwell built an impressive roster of artists for Island, including Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music, Steve Winwood, Robert Palmer, Nick Drake, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Waits, Grace Jones, U2 and Marianne Faithfull. Kidjo relocated from her home country of Benin to Paris, where Blackwell heard her sing and signed her to Island. Her life of music and activism was praised by President Bill Clinton, who cited her “passionate call for freedom, dignity, and the rights of people.” Influenced by sacred music, including Gregorian chants, Pärt is known for his laconic, reduced compositions, with his style evolving from neo-classical in his early years to more avant-garde music.
Blackwell has a long history with Sweden, first traveling there in the late 1950s. In 1960, he met with Dag Haeggquist, a beloved figure in the Swedish music industry, who was running the independent Sonet label. “I really liked him,” Blackwell tells Billboard. “So when I was back in Jamaica, I did a record there and thought it sounded okay. I sent it to Dag to see if he might be interested in releasing it, and that’s what happened. It didn’t do well but I worked with Dag for many years after that.”
One of Blackwell’s most memorable times in Sweden was a visit on his 30th birthday in 1967, when he was in Gothenburg, on tour with Traffic. “A few people were smoking what they were not supposed to be smoking and everybody was shocked that I’d never smoked any weed before in my life. ‘You? Coming from Jamaica and you’ve never smoked any weed?’ And I said no. I never had – at that time.”
Kidjo also has many memories of Sweden, though one that stands out is laced with tragedy. “I was on tour and was supposed to play in Stockholm,” Kidjo recalls to Billboard. “The night before, I heard that a discotheque had burned down with all the kids in it.” (On Oct. 29, 1998, an arsonist burned down a discotheque in Gothenburg. There were 63 deaths and 213 people were injured). “I thought, ‘How are we going to do this concert?’ Everybody wanted to cancel, and I said, ‘No. Please, let’s do something. Let’s celebrate the spirit of those kids that are gone. Let’s help heal the wound.’ It was one of the most difficult things that you do as a performer, knowing that the youth [who died] were never going to be there anymore and thinking about the pain of the parents and the loss of the parents. I use music to be the art of healing, building bridges. Music has come to my rescue so many times that I ask myself sometimes, ‘If I was not a singer, how would I live in this world?’”
Kidjo is looking forward to seeing Blackwell for the first time since the pandemic began. “I couldn’t dream of a better person to share this with because he was the one who taught me what it is to be on a major label, to be humble, to keep grounded and focus on the music. The first 10 years of my career brought me to where I am today because Chris won’t lie to you. If it’s not good, Chris is going to tell you. When he would listen to my demos, he would call me right away and say, ‘I like this number and this number, but I didn’t like that.’ And he’s always right.”
The citation that will be read at the ceremony for Blackwell says, in part, “As a record producer and genuine music lover, Chris Blackwell has been one of the key figures in the development of popular music for half a century. When Island Records was founded in Jamaica in 1959, he began his mission to introduce the world to ska and reggae. In folk, rock and disco, he has invested in uncompromising artists and helped them become the best version of themselves. Never focusing on sales figures, but on the songs and albums as works of art, Chris Blackwell has expanded the world and abolished border controls between genres.”
Calling her “unique and unstoppable,” Kidjo’s citation reads, in part, “Angélique grew up in Cotonou, surrounded by the dynamic Beninese culture and listening to music from all over the world: soul, jazz, reggae, Afrobeat, pop, classical. When a communist dictatorship tried to silence her, she moved to Paris and became even more active. Angélique Kidjo invented the word batonga, a response to those who think girls don’t belong in schools, and runs the Batonga Foundation, which seeks out girls and provides them with education. Bono has said of her, ‘In Africa’s new morning, Angélique Kidjo is the warmth of the rising sun.’”
Pärt’s citation says he “has likened his music to white light. It is in the encounter with the prism of the listener’s soul that all colors become visible. Arvo Pärt has created the compositional style tintinnabuli, from the Latin word for ‘bell,’ in which the music moves according to a given structure. In 2006 and 2007, Arvo Pärt dedicated the performances of his works to the murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya and other dissidents in Russia. Arvo Pärt’s courageously beautiful music creates depth in every sense.”
Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize, tells Billboard, “It was so great to be back last year staging the Polar Music Prize after two years away due to COVID. And this year I feel that the committee has again risen to the challenge of choosing three laureates that are so well-deserving. It’s a great privilege for the Polar Music Prize to be able to put these three remarkable talents in the spotlight and hopefully introduce new audiences to their music. I’m looking forward to a wonderful evening of great music at the ceremony in Stockholm on May 23.”
Blackwell, Kidjo and Pärt join a long list of laureates that includes Elton John, Ravi Shankar, Metallica, Ennio Morricone, Led Zeppelin, Renée Fleming, Paul McCartney, Grandmaster Flash, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Isaac Stern, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Sonny Rollins, Diane Warren, Gilberto Gil, B.B. King, Emmylou Harris, Yo-Yo Ma, Miriam Makeba, Björk, Wayne Shorter, Patti Smith, Dizzy Gillespie, Iggy Pop, the Kronos Quartet, Youssou N’Dour and Chuck Berry.
Monday night’s (March 27) iHeartRadio Music Awards celebrated the artists we hear most across the airwaves, with Lenny Kravitz hosting and performing.
Taylor Swift collected the Innovator Award and Pink won the Icon Award, but who else took home prizes?
Find the night’s big winners below:
Song of the year“About Damn Time”- LizzoWINNER: “Anti-Hero”- Taylor Swift“As It Was”- Harry Styles“Big Energy”- Latto“Enemy (from the series Arcane League of Legends)”- Imagine Dragons“First Class”- Jack Harlow“Ghost”- Justin Bieber“Heat Waves” – Glass Animals“Industry Baby” – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow“Woman” – Doja Cat
Artist of the yearBeyoncéDoja CatDrakeDua LipaHarry StylesJack HarlowJustin BieberLizzoTaylor SwiftThe Weeknd
Best duo/group of the yearAJRBlack Eyed PeasBlackpinkGlass AnimalsWINNER: Imagine DragonsMåneskinOneRepublicParmaleeRed Hot Chili PeppersSilk Sonic
Best collaboration“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”- Elle King & Miranda Lambert“Cold Heart”- Elton John & Dua Lipa“half of my hometown”- Kelsea Ballerini ft. Kenny Chesney“I Like You (A Happier Song)” – Post Malone ft. Doja Cat“Industry Baby” – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow“One Right Now”- Post Malone & The Weeknd“Sweetest Pie” – Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa“Unholy” – Sam Smith & Kim Petras“Wait For U” – Future ft. Drake & Tems“You Right” – Doja Cat ft. The Weeknd
Best new pop artistDove CameronGayleWINNER: JaxNicky YoureSteve Lacy
Country song of the year“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan“half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini ft. Kenny ChesneyWINNER: “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell“The Kind of Love We Make” – Luke Combs“Wasted On You” – Morgan Wallen
Country artist of the yearCarrie UnderwoodJason AldeanKane BrownLuke CombsWINNER: Morgan Wallen
Best new country artistBailey ZimmermanWINNER: Cody JohnsonElle KingElvie ShanePriscilla Block
Afrobeats artist of the yearBurna BoyCKayFireboy DMLTemsWizkid
Hip-hop song of the year“F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”- Hitkidd & GloRilla“First Class” – Jack Harlow“Girls Want Girls” – Drake ft. Lil Baby“Super Gremlin”- Kodak Black“Wait For U” – Future ft. Drake & Tems
Hip-hop artist of the yearDrakeFutureKodak BlackLil BabyMoneybagg Yo
Best new hip-hop artistB-LoveeGloRillaLattoNardo WickSleazyWorld Go
R&B song of the year“Break My Soul” – Beyoncé“Free Mind” – Tems“Hrs And Hrs” – Muni Long“I Hate U”- SZA“Smokin Out The Window” – Silk Sonic
R&B artist of the year BlxstMuni LongSilk SonicSZAYung Bleu
Best new R&B artist BlastBrent FaiyazWINNER: Muni LongSteve LacyTems
Alternative song of the year“Black Summer”- Red Hot Chili Peppers“Edging”- Blink-182“Enemy (from the series Arcane League of Legends)”- Imagine Dragons“Heat Waves”- Glass Animals“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”- Kate Bush
Alternative artist of the yearImagine DragonsMåneskinRed Hot Chili Pepperstwenty one pilotsWeezer
Best new artist (alternative & rock)Beach WeatherBoyWithUkeWINNER: Giovannie and the Hired GunsTurnstileWet Leg
Rock song of the year“Black Summer”- Red Hot Chili Peppers“Patient Number 9”- Ozzy Osbourne ft. Jeff Beck“Planet Zero”- Shinedown“So Called Life”- Three Days Grace“Taking Me Back”- Jack White
Rock artist of the yearGhostWINNER: Papa RoachRed Hot Chili PeppersShinedownThree Days Grace
Dance song of the year“Cold Heart”- Elton John & Dua Lipa“Escape”- KX5, Kaskade, Deadmau5 ft. Hayla“Heaven Takes You Home”- Swedish House Mafia & Connie Constance“Hot In It”- Tiësto & Charli XCXWINNER: “I’m Good (Blue)”- David Guetta & Bebe Rexha
Dance artist of the yearWINNER: Anabel EnglundJoel CorrySofi TukkerSwedish House MafiaTiësto
Latin pop/reggaeton song of the year “El Incomprendido” – Farruko/ Víctor Cárdenas/ DJ AdoniWINNER: “MAMIII”- Becky G & Karol G“Me Porto Bonito”- Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone“Moscow Mule” – Bad Bunny“Provenza”- Karol G
Latin pop/reggaeton artist of the year Bad BunnyDaddy YankeeFarrukoKarol GRauw Alejandro
Regional Mexican song of the year “Cada Quien”- Grupo Firme ft. Maluma“Cómo Te Olvido” – La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho“Si Te Pudiera Mentir”- Calibre 50“Ya Solo Eres Mi Ex” – La Adictiva“Ya Supérame”- Grupo Firme
Regional Mexican artist of the yearCalibre 50Christian NodalEl FantasmaWINNER: Grupo FirmeLa Adictiva
Best new Latin artistBlessdKali UchisQuevedoRyan CastroVenesti
Best lyrics (socially voted category)“About Damn Time” – Lizzo“abcdefu” – Gayle“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift“Buy Dirt”- Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan“Glimpse Of Us”- Joji“Lift Me Up”- Rihanna “N95” – Kendrick Lamar“pushin P” – Gunna ft. Future, Young Thug“Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj “Wasted On You” – Morgan Wallen“We Don’t Talk About Bruno”- Lin-Manuel Miranda performed by the Cast of Encanto
Best music video (socially voted category)“Anti-Hero”- Taylor Swift “As It Was” – Harry Styles “Calm Down”- Rema & Selena Gomez“Don’t Be Shy”- Tiësto & Karol G “Don’t You Worry”- Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, David Guetta“Envovler” – Anitta “Left and Right”- Charlie Puth ft. Jung Kook of BTS“Pink Venom”- BLACKPINK “Tití Me Preguntó” – Bad Bunny “Yet To Come” – BTS
Best fan army (socially voted category)“Barbz”- Nicki Minaj “Beliebers”- Justin Bieber “BeyHive” – Beyoncé“Blinks”- Blackpink “BTSArmy”- BTS “Harries” – Harry Styles “Hotties”- Megan Thee Stallion “Louies”- Louis Tomlinson “RihannaNavy”- Rihanna “Rushers”- Big Time Rush “Selenators” – Selena Gomez “Swifties”- Taylor Swift
Social star award (socially voted category)Bailey ZimmermanCharli D’AmelioEm BeiholdGayleGloRillaJVKELauren Spencer-SmithYung Gravy
Favorite tour photographer (socially voted category)Bad Bunny – SiemprericDemi Lovato – Angelo KritikosDua Lipa – Elizabeth MirandaHalsey – YasiWINNER: Harry Styles – Lloyd WakefieldLouis Tomlinson – Joshua HallingLuke Combs – David BergmanMachine Gun Kelly – Sam CahillOlivia Rodrigo – DonslensPost Malone – Adam DeGrosstwenty one pilots – Ashley OsbornYUNGBLUD – Tom Pallant
TikTok bop of the year (socially voted category)“About Damn Time”- Lizzo “As It Was” – Harry Styles“Bad Habit” – Steve Lacy “Bejeweled”- Taylor Swift “Big Energy”- Latto “Cuff It”- Beyoncé“Envolver”- Anitta “Just Wanna Rock” – Lil Uzi Vert “Made You Look”- Meghan Trainor “Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj “Unholy”- Sam Smith & Kim Petras “World’s Smallest Violin”- AJR
Favorite documentary (socially voted category)Halftime – Jennifer Lopez Life in Pink – Machine Gun Kelly Love, Lizzo– Lizzo Niall Horan’s Homecoming: The Road to Mullingar With Lewis Capaldi – Niall Horan + Lewis Capaldi Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me – Selena Gomez Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl – Shania Twain Sheryl – Sheryl Crow Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby – Lil Baby
Favorite tour style (socially voted category)Bad BunnyCarrie UnderwoodDua LipaElton JohnHarry StylesLady GagaLil Nas XLizzoMachine Gun KellyOlivia RodrigoRosalíaThe Weeknd
Favorite residency (socially voted category)“An Evening with Silk Sonic” – Silk Sonic“Enigma + Jazz & Piano” – Lady Gaga “Let’s Go!” – Shania Twain “Love In Las Vegas”- John Legend “Love On Tour” – Harry Styles “Play”- Katy Perry “Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency” – Carrie Underwood“Usher: My Way – The Las Vegas Residency” – Usher“Weekends with Adele” – Adele
Favorite use of a sample (socially voted category)Beyoncé’s “Summer Renaissance” – sampled Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”Blackpink’s “Pink Venom” – sampled 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P,” Rihanna’s “Pon de Replay,” andBiggie’s “Kick In The Door”Chlöe’s “Treat Me” – sampled Bubba Sparxxx & Ying Yang Twins’ “Ms. New Booty”David Guetta & Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” – sampled Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”DJ Khaled & Drake’s “Staying Alive” – sampled The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”Doja Cat’s “Vegas” – sampled Shonka Dukureh’s “Hound Dog”Jack Harlow’s “First Class” – sampled Fergie’s “Glamorous”Latto’s “Big Energy” – sampled Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy”Lizzo’s “Break Up Twice” – sampled Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)”Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” – sampled Rick James’ “Super Freak”Taylor Swift’s “Question…?” – sampled Taylor Swift’s “Out of The Woods”Yung Gravy’s “Betty (Get Money)” – sampled Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”
Most Played ArtistWINNER: Doja Cat
Country Album of the YearWINNER: Luke Combs, Growin’ Up
Taylor Swift took a brief break from her blockbuster The Eras Tour on Monday night (March 27), popping by Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater for the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards to accept the Innovator Award.
Phoebe Bridgers presented the award to her “Nothing New” collaborator, explaining how hearing a young Swift singing her own songs on country radio when she was growing up is what inspired her to become an autobiographical songwriter.
“I was listening to country radio one day with my mom and Taylor came on,” Bridgers said. “I heard a girl not much older than me singing a song she had written about her own life and the song was really good. As I grew up, so did Taylor, and so did her songs.
“Taylor has always told the truth,” Bridgers added. “She has always written songs about exactly where she is. I’m grateful to have grown up in a world with Taylor Swift in it. Or ‘The World (Taylor’s Version).’”
Before Swift took the stage, a video montage played of her famous friends and fans — including Selena Gomez (“She can represent what she’s walking through so well”) and Dolly Parton (“We wanna keep you around forever”) — singing Swift’s praises.
“Anyone who is part of that video, that video really blew my mind,” Swift said, before launching into her speech and marveling at being labeled an “Innovator.”
“I never a single time woke up in the morning and said, ‘You know what I’m gonna do today? I’m gonna innovate stuff,’” she said. “What I did do was make the right decisions for me. People want an example of something working before, but I think the coolest ideas, moves and choices are new ones, ones that set a new precedent. I’m so thankful because my fans have backed me up on things like switching genres or re-recording all my old music.
“The thing about these exciting nights and moments and especially this award, they’re shining a light on the choices I made that worked out, that turned out to be good ideas,” she added. “I want everyone to know — especially young people — that the hundreds and thousands of dumb ideas that I had led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail. I try as hard as I can not to fail because it’s embarrassing, but I give myself permission to.
“Make the right choices that make sense for you and someone one day might thing you’re innovative.”
The Eras Tour continues this weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where MUNA and GAYLE will open Friday night and beabadoobee and Gracie Adams open Saturday night. Bridgers will join The Eras Tour as a warm-up act starting with the Nashville dates in May.
On Monday (March 27), CMT revealed the six finalists for video of the year at their upcoming awards show, including Morgan Wallen, Blake Shelton and more.
Wallen’s visual for “You Proof” is nominated, while Shelton is competing with 2022’s “No Body.” The four other nominees rounding out the category include Carrie Underwood‘s “Hate My Heart” from her latest album Denim & Rhinestones, Cody Johnson‘s “Human,” HARDY‘s Lainey Wilson-assisted “Wait in the Truck” and Kane Brown‘s “Thank God” with his wife Katelyn Brown.
Voting in the video of the year category, which started with a crop of 16 videos, will continue through the weekend, with the top three nominees being announced Sunday (April 2) ahead of the show and the big winner revealed during the telecast on CBS.
Underwood’s inclusion in the top six continues her hot streak at the CMT Awards; the American Idol champ holds the record as the most-awarded artist in the show’s history, and she’s been up for video of the year for five consecutive years.
Shelton coming out on top would make it The Voice coach’s second win for video of the year after being crowned in 2018 for “I’ll Name the Dogs,” though the Browns would make history with a win as the first-ever husband and wife duo to take home the prize. (The Different Man singer also happens to be co-hosting the ceremony opposite Kelsea Ballerini.)
For HARDY, Wilson, Johnson or Wallen, a victory over the country veterans would bring a first-time win in the category. The latter currently holds the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the third consecutive week with his sprawling, 36-track album One Thing at a Time (chart dated April 1).
Ready for the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards? The March 27 event will see a whole host of celebrities and musicians at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, attending as performers and making special appearances.
The 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards will include nine performances across a variety of genres, including a set from Lenny Kravitz — who doubles as the host for the ceremony — Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Latto, Muni Long, Cody Johnson and Coldplay, who will appear at the event live from its Music of the Spheres World Tour stop in Brazil.
P!nk will also take the stage one month following the release of her ninth studio album, Trustfall, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. In addition to performing, the star will be honored as the ICON award recipient, which acknowledges her achievements spanning three decades. Taylor Swift, a 14-time iHeartRadio Music Award winner, will receive the Innovator award. Swift, who is not performing, is also up for seven awards, including the song of the year and artist of the year categories.
The 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards will also feature special appearances from Cher, Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin, Donald Faison, H.E.R., Joel McHale, Jordan Davis, Nicole Scherzinger, Nikki Glaser, Phoebe Bridgers, TLC, Vella Lovell, Zach Braff and more. LL Cool J was previously announced to make a special appearance during the ceremony.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards will air on Fox on Monday, March 27, starting at 8 p.m. ET. Here are all the performers and special guests for the event:
Performers:
Lenny Kravitz
P!nk
Kelly Clarkson
Coldplay
Keith Urban
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Muni Long
Cody Johnson
Latto
Special Appearances:
Cher
Phoebe Bridgers
TLC
Damar Hamlin
Nicole Scherzinger
Donald Faison
H.E.R.
Joel McHale
Jordan Davis
Nikki Glaser
Vella Lovell
Zach Braff
LL Cool J
Darius Rucker will team up with The Black Crowes for a world premiere collaboration of the band’s 1991 hit “She Talks to Angels” during the CMT Music Awards on April 2, airing live from Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
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Rucker, who is nominated in the CMT performance of the year category the upcoming awards show (for his rendition of “Let Her Cry” from CMT Storytellers), has earned nine No. 1 singles on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, while The Black Crowes have earned six No. 1 singles on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock chart.
They are among the latest round of performers for the CMT Music Awards, with newly-announced performers also including Jelly Roll, Tyler Hubbard, and a collaboration from Wynonna Judd with Ashley McBryde.
Hitmaker Jelly Roll, who reigned atop Billboard‘s Emerging Artists chart for 25 weeks and is set to release his forthcoming album, Whitsitt Chapel on June 2, will perform his single “Need a Favor.” He earns his first CMT Music Awards nominations this year, with nods for male video of the year, breakthrough male video of the year, and CMT digital-first performance of the year.
A decade after Hubbard made his CMT Music Awards debut as part of Florida Georgia Line (performing “Cruise” at the 2013 ceremony, collaboration with Nelly), Hubbard will make his first solo awards performance, offering “Dancin’ in the Country.”
Wynonna will return to the CMT Music Awards stage, following her memorable final performance of “Love Can Build a Bridge” with her mother and the Judds bandmate, the late Naomi Judd. That performance is nominated for CMT performance of the year at this year’s ceremony.
These six new performers join previously announced performers Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown + Katelyn Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini and Lainey Wilson. Meanwhile, newcomers Avery Anna, Chapel Hart, Jackson Dean, Lily Rose, Megan Moroney and Nate Smith will perform from the Ram Trucks Side Stage.
The CMT Music Awards will air on the CBS Television Network and will stream live and on demand on Paramont+.