The Weeknd with Special Guest Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic), Dan + Shay, Doja Cat, Usher And More Among All-Star Performers
Elton John Honored with iHeartRadio Icon Award and Special Tribute Performance from Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato And H.E.R.
The Event Featured Special Appearances From Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, twenty one pilots, Megan Thee Stallion, LL Cool J, Nelly, Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, Lil Jon, Robin Thicke, Joel McHale, Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman, Gabby Barrett, Ava Max, Raphael Saadiq, AJR and More
NEW YORK, N.Y. – May 28, 2021 – The 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards brought the biggest names in entertainment together from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate all things music, live on FOX, iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio App, on Thursday, May 27. Hosted by Usher, the fan-fueled iHeartRadio Music Awards featured performances and incredible collaborations including The Weeknd with Special Guest Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic), Dan + Shay, Doja Cat, Usher and more.
The 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards honored the legendary Elton John with the 2021 iHeartRadio Icon Award, which was presented by Chris Martin and Lil Nas X. The award presentation also featured a special tribute performance from Brandi Carlile, Demi Lovato and H.E.R., honoring Elton John’s global impact on pop culture, longevity and continued relevance as a touring and radio force with a loyal fan base worldwide.
In addition, the show featured special appearances from Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, twenty one pilots, Megan Thee Stallion, LL Cool J, Nelly, Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, Lil Jon, Robin Thicke, Joel McHale, Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman, Gabby Barrett, Ava Max, Raphael Saadiq, AJR and more.
The official hashtag of the evening, #iHeartAwards2021, trended #1 on Twitter Worldwide and in the U.S.
The 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards is available now through June 17 with On Demand, FOX NOW and Hulu. The award show is available to watch On Demand for customers of AT&T TV, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH, Spectrum, Sling TV, Verizon FiOS, XFINITY, YouTube TV and many more. Fans also can stream episodes on FOX NOW and Hulu.
Additional highlights included:
- The Weeknd with Special Guest Ariana Grande opened the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards with the first-ever performance together of their #1 hit “Save Your Tears” – their energy and vocals were unmatched as they serenaded a live audience.
- Host of the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Usher hosted and jammed with other artists including LL Cool J, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, French Montana, twenty one pilots in “Club Ush” – a nightclub built on the side of The Dolby Theatre stage. During the show he also performed a medley of his hits, “Confessions,” “Love In This Club,” “U Don’t Have To Call,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” and “Scream,” before Lil Jon surprised the crowd by pulling up in a 1972 Impala to join Usher on stage for a performance of “Yeah.”
- Winner of Best Duo/Group of the Year, Dan + Shay reunited with their full band for the first time to perform, “Glad You Exist.”
- The chemistry ignited by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) around a candle-lit piano in “Club Ush” set the tone for an epic performance of “Leave The Door Open,” delivering all the feels.
- Chris Martin from Coldplay and Lil Nas X presented Elton John with the 2021 iHeartRadio Icon Award. Demi Lovato, Brandi Carlile and H.E.R. performed a vibrant medley tribute of Elton’s biggest songs including “Bennie and The Jets,” “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” and “I’m Still Standing,” in honor of his 50-year career.
- The biggest breakout artist of the year and winner of Best New Pop Artist, Doja Cat, put together a stunning visual performance of her biggest hits including “Say So,” “Streets” and “Kiss Me More.”
Category winners were:
Song of the Year:
- “Blinding Lights” - The Weeknd
Female Artist of the Year:
- Dua Lipa
Male Artist of the Year:
- The Weeknd
Best Duo/Group of the Year:
- Dan + Shay
Best Collaboration:
- “Savage” (Remix) - Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
Best New Pop Artist:
- Doja Cat
Pop Album of the Year:
- folklore – Taylor Swift
Alternative Rock Song of the Year:
- “Level Of Concern” - twenty one pilots
Alternative Rock Artist of the Year:
- twenty one pilots
Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist:
- Powfu
Alternative Rock Album of the Year:
- Tickets to My Downfall – Machine Gun Kelly
Rock Song of the Year:
- “Shame Shame” - Foo Fighters
Rock Artist of the Year:
- The Pretty Reckless
Rock Album of the Year:
- Power Up – AC/DC
Country Song of the Year:
- “The Bones” - Maren Morris
Country Artist of the Year:
- Luke Combs
Best New Country Artist:
- Gabby Barrett
Country Album of the Year:
- What You See Ain't Always What You Get – Luke Combs
Dance Song of the Year:
- “Roses” (Imanbek Remix) - SAINt JHN
Dance Artist of the Year:
- Marshmello
Dance Album of the Year:
- Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil – Diplo
Hip-Hop Song of the Year:
- “The Box” - Roddy Ricch
Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:
- Roddy Ricch
Best New Hip-Hop Artist:
- Roddy Ricch
Hip-Hop Album of the Year:
- My Turn – Lil Baby
R&B Song of the Year:
- “Go Crazy” - Chris Brown & Young Thug
R&B Artist of the Year:
- H.E.R.
Best New R&B Artist:
- Snoh Aalegra
R&B Album of the Year:
- Chilombo – Jhene Aiko
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song of the Year:
- “Tusa” - KAROL G & Nicki Minaj
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist of the Year:
- J Balvin
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Album of the Year:
- YHLQMDLG – Bad Bunny
Best New Latin Artist:
- Rauw Alejandro
Regional Mexican Song of the Year:
- “Se Me Olvidó” - Christian Nodal
Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:
- Christian Nodal
Regional Mexican Album of the Year:
- AYAYAY! – Christian Nodal
Producer of the Year:
- Max Martin
Songwriter of the Year:
- Ashley Gorley
Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category
- “Adore You” - Harry Styles
Best Cover Song: *Socially Voted Category
- “Juice” (Lizzo) - Harry Styles cover
Best Fan Army: *Socially Voted Category
- #BTSARMY - BTS
Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category
- “Dynamite” - BTS
Social Star Award: *Socially Voted Category
- Olivia Rodrigo
Favorite Music Video Choreography: *Socially Voted Category
- “Dynamite” (BTS) – Son Sung Deuk
TikTok Bop of the Year (New Category): *Socially Voted Category
- “Blinding Lights” - The Weeknd
Label of the Year:
- Republic Records
Titanium Song of the Year:
- “Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd
Titanium Artist of the Year:
- The Weeknd
For a full list of categories visit iHeartRadio.com/awards.
Executive producers for the “iHeartRadio Music Awards” are Joel Gallen for Tenth Planet and John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia.
Proud partners of the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards include Taco Bell®, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar and Rémy Martin.
About FOX Entertainment
FOX Entertainment’s 30-year legacy of innovative, hit programming includes 9-1-1, 9-1-1: LONE STAR, THE MASKED SINGER, LEGO MASTERS, PRODIGAL SON, LAST MAN STANDING, THE SIMPSONS, “Empire,” “24,” “The X-Files” and “American Idol.” Delivering high-quality scripted, non-scripted, animation, live content and major sports, FOX won the 2019-2020 broadcast season for the first time in eight years and was the only major network to post year-over-year growth among Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers. In addition to its broadcast network, FOX Entertainment oversees the operations of FOX Alternative Entertainment, its in-house unscripted studio that produces THE MASKED SINGER, I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE and THE MASKED DANCER, among other series; and the award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, which produces animated content for FOX, including the Emmy Award-winning hit BOB’S BURGERS and DUNCANVILLE, THE GREAT NORTH and HOUSEBROKEN, as well as programming for other broadcast, streaming and cable platforms. Tubi, FOX Entertainment’s fast-growing ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) service, features more than 30,000 movies and television series, and news content that’s available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australia.