iHeartRadio Awards 2026: Taylor Swift extends record as most-decorated artist
What's the story
Taylor Swift has once again proven her dominance in the music industry by winning seven awards at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night (local time). The singer was nominated in nine categories and took home the most trophies of any artist, further extending her status as iHeartRadio's most decorated artist of all time with a total of 41 wins.
Emotional moment
Swift won Best Pop Album of the Year
Swift, who attended the event with her fiancé-footballer Travis Kelce, won the award for Best Pop Album of the Year for The Life of a Showgirl. In her acceptance speech, she thanked Kelce for his support and iHeartRadio for their recognition. "I really just wanted to say thank you...to anyone who cared about The Fate of Ophelia because you made that into the biggest hit of my career which is crazy at this point," she said.
More victories
'We live in this world where there's so much feedback...'
Swift's winning streak continued when figure skater Alysa Liu presented her with six more awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Lyrics, and others. In her acceptance speeches for these awards, she shared an emotional message with her fans. "We live in this world where there's so much immediate feedback, constantly, like you get feedback for everything you share with the world," she said. "I just wanna say...Give yourself time to hone your craft."
Words of wisdom
Swift advised fans to pursue their passions
Swift advised her fans to nurture their hobbies and passions without worrying about external validation. She said, "...if I had one hope for you...I would hope that you get to nurture your hobby and your passion." "I'm a firm believer that anything you feed your mind, it will internalize. Anything you feed the internet, it will attempt to kill, and I don't want that for your dreams." "So just thank you for allowing me to turn my hobby...into a career."
Event recap
Other winners at the event
The iHeartRadio Music Awards, hosted by Ludacris, featured performances from Lainey Wilson and Alex Warren. Miley Cyrus accepted the iHeartRadio Innovator Award during the event. Other winners included John Mellencamp (iHeartRadio Icon Award), David Guetta (Dance Artist of the Year), and Kendrick Lamar (Hip-Hop Artist of the Year). The show also introduced new categories like Favorite TikTok Dance and Favorite Debut Album.