From Kendrick Lamar and SZA to Doechii and Drake, this year’s iHeartRadio Awards reflect where culture, streaming, and radio truly meet.
The iHeartRadio Awards nominations are officially in, and once again, they offer a clear snapshot of what truly moved the culture over the past year. While pop and crossover records still occupy plenty of space, hip-hop and R&B are front and center in many of the night’s most important categories. These nominations aren’t just about critical acclaim — they’re driven by radio play, streaming performance, and listener engagement, making them one of the most accurate reflections of real-world popularity.
Leading the charge on the hip-hop and R&B side are familiar heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar and SZA, whose collaboration “luther” shows up across multiple categories, including Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Hip-Hop Song of the Year. That kind of crossover recognition speaks to how deeply the record resonated beyond core rap audiences. Drake also lands in the Hip-Hop Song of the Year race with “NOKIA,” continuing his near-decade-long run as one of radio’s safest bets.
On the artist side, Hip-Hop Artist of the Year nominees like Cardi B, GloRilla, Playboi Carti, and Tyler, The Creator highlight just how stylistically diverse the genre has become. Meanwhile, R&B categories are stacked with artists who’ve defined modern soul, including Chris Brown, Kehlani, Leon Thomas, Mariah the Scientist, and SZA. Notably, Leon Thomas shows up repeatedly across R&B and pop-adjacent categories, signaling a breakout year that radio has fully embraced.
What stands out most about this year’s nominations is balance. Newer names like Doechii and Ravyn Lenae sit alongside established stars, while genre lines blur more than ever. Whether it’s hip-hop records dominating pop spaces or R&B acts thriving on streaming and radio simultaneously, the iHeartRadio Awards once again confirm what fans already know: hip-hop and R&B aren’t just part of the conversation — they are the conversation.
Check out all the categories below.
| Category | Nominee / Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Song of the Year | Anxiety | Doechii |
| Good News | Shaboozey | |
| Love Somebody | Morgan Wallen | |
| luther | Kendrick Lamar & SZA | |
| Manchild | Sabrina Carpenter | |
| MUTT | Leon Thomas | |
| Ordinary | Alex Warren | |
| Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else | Benson Boone | |
| Stargazing | Myles Smith | |
| The Fate of Ophelia | Taylor Swift | |
| Artist of the Year | — | Bad Bunny |
| — | Benson Boone | |
| — | Chris Brown | |
| — | Jelly Roll | |
| — | Kendrick Lamar | |
| — | Lady Gaga | |
| — | Morgan Wallen | |
| — | Sabrina Carpenter | |
| — | Tate McRae | |
| — | Taylor Swift | |
| Pop Artist of the Year | — | Alex Warren |
| — | Benson Boone | |
| — | Sabrina Carpenter | |
| — | Tate McRae | |
| — | Taylor Swift | |
| Pop Song of the Year | Golden | HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI |
| Manchild | Sabrina Carpenter | |
| Ordinary | Alex Warren | |
| Pink Pony Club | Chappell Roan | |
| The Fate of Ophelia | Taylor Swift | |
| Best New Artist (Pop) | — | Alex Warren |
| — | Jessie Murph | |
| — | Myles Smith | |
| — | Ravyn Lenae | |
| — | sombr | |
| Duo / Group of the Year | — | HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI |
| — | Linkin Park | |
| — | Maroon 5 | |
| — | Shinedown | |
| — | Twenty One Pilots | |
| Best Collaboration | All The Way | BigXthaPlug ft. Bailey Zimmerman |
| APT. | ROSÉ & Bruno Mars | |
| luther | Kendrick Lamar & SZA | |
| Timeless | The Weeknd ft. Playboi Carti | |
| WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME | GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red | |
| Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | — | Cardi B |
| — | GloRilla | |
| — | Kendrick Lamar | |
| — | Playboi Carti | |
| — | Tyler, The Creator | |
| Hip-Hop Song of the Year | luther | Kendrick Lamar & SZA |
| NOKIA | Drake | |
| Outside | Cardi B | |
| The Largest | BigXthaPlug | |
| WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME | GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red | |
| R&B Artist of the Year | — | Chris Brown |
| — | Kehlani | |
| — | Leon Thomas | |
| — | Mariah the Scientist | |
| — | SZA | |
| R&B Song of the Year | Burning Blue | Mariah the Scientist |
| Folded | Kehlani | |
| MUTT | Leon Thomas | |
| Residuals | Chris Brown | |
| SOMEBODY LOVES ME | PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake | |
| World Artist of the Year | — | Ayra Starr |
| — | Jackson Wang | |
| — | JO1 | |
| — | MOLIY | |
| — | Tyla | |
| Best New Artist (R&B) | — | Jenevieve |
| — | Kwn | |
| — | Leon Thomas | |
| — | Mariah the Scientist | |
| — | Sailorr | |
| Best New Artist (Hip-Hop) | — | MOLIY |
| — | PLUTO | |
| — | Real Boston Richey | |
| — | YKNIECE | |
| — | ZEDDY WILL | |
| Alternative Artist of the Year | — | Cage the Elephant |
| — | Green Day | |
| — | Linkin Park | |
| — | Sublime | |
| — | Twenty One Pilots | |
| K-Pop Artist of the Year | — | JENNIE |
| — | j-hope | |
| — | JIN | |
| — | LISA | |
| — | ROSÉ | |
| K-Pop Group of the Year | — | ATEEZ |
| — | BLACKPINK | |
| — | ENHYPEN | |
| — | Stray Kids | |
| — | TWICE | |
| K-Pop Song of the Year | APT. | ROSÉ & Bruno Mars |
| Golden | HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI | |
| JUMP | BLACKPINK | |
| Killin’ It Girl | j-hope ft. GloRilla | |
| Like JENNIE | JENNIE | |
| Favorite TikTok Dance | Abracadabra | Lady Gaga |
| Gnarly | KATSEYE | |
| GO! | CORTIS | |
| Happen To Me | Russell Dickerson | |
| JUMP | BLACKPINK | |
| Like JENNIE | JENNIE | |
| Midnight Sun | Zara Larsson | |
| MONA LISA | j-hope | |
| Revolving Door | Tate McRae | |
| SPAGHETTI | LE SSERAFIM, j-hope | |
| The Fate of Ophelia | Taylor Swift |
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
Discover more from RGM
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
