Jesse Collins Entertainment will produce the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, scheduled to air March 26 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The broadcast will run from 8 to 10 p.m. ET on FOX, with a tape-delayed West Coast airing, and will also be carried across iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.
Executive producers for the show include Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannaé Rouzan-Clay for Jesse Collins Entertainment, along with John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment Studios.
The production adds another large broadcast music event to Jesse Collins Entertainment’s portfolio, which includes the BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, the American Music Awards and other major televised specials. The company has also been involved in high-profile live music broadcasts including the Super Bowl Halftime Show and multiple network award productions.
Ludacris Hosts as iHeartRadio Aligns Radio and Television Platforms
The 13th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards will again serve as a promotional platform tied directly to radio airplay across the iHeartMedia network.
Ludacris will host the broadcast and will also receive the 2026 iHeartRadio Landmark Award, which recognizes artists whose work has influenced music and culture over multiple decades. The Atlanta rapper first reached mainstream success with his 2000 debut Back for the First Time and went on to release several platinum-selling albums including Word of Mouf, Chicken-n-Beer and The Red Light District. His career later expanded into film through his long-running role in the Fast & Furious franchise.
The show will feature performances from Alex Warren, Lainey Wilson, Ludacris and RAYE. A joint performance from TLC, Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue will mark the first time the three groups have appeared together on the awards stage.
Miley Cyrus and Alex Warren Among Key Honorees
Miley Cyrus will receive the 2026 iHeartRadio Innovator Award, joining previous recipients including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga.
Alex Warren will receive the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award following a year of strong radio performance. His singles spent 16 weeks at number one on the Mediabase Top 40 chart and 29 weeks at number one on the Hot AC chart.
Radio Airplay Remains Central to the Awards Model
Unlike many fan-driven music awards shows, the iHeartRadio Music Awards are built around radio performance data across iHeartMedia’s national station network and digital platform.
The broadcast recognizes the most-played songs and artists across iHeartRadio stations during the previous year while also positioning emerging artists heading into the next release cycle.
Artists receiving multiple nominations include Bad Bunny, Benson Boone, BLACKPINK, Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, GloRilla, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA and Taylor Swift.
Fan voting will determine winners in several categories including Best Music Video, Best Lyrics, Favorite Debut Album, Favorite TikTok Dance, Favorite Tour Style and Favorite Tour Tradition. Voting will remain open through March 19 on the iHeartRadio website.
Additional awards will be presented for Album of the Year across several formats including pop, country, alternative, rock, dance, hip-hop, R&B, Latin and regional Mexican.
The 2026 broadcast will again combine radio promotion, artist performances and televised awards into a two-hour network event supported by iHeartMedia’s national radio footprint and FOX’s broadcast platform.