Kendrick Lamar is in the running for Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and more at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Kendrick Lamar has found no shortage of success in recent years, and it looks like 2026 will be no different. Nominees for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards were announced, and he’s in the running for several awards. He’s nominated for Artist of the Year and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year. He and SZA’s GNX track “luther” is also competing for Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Hip-Hop Song of the Year. He’s going up against the likes of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, and more. News of Kendrick’s nominations comes just days after it was reported that GNX was Spotify’s most-streamed rap album of 2025. Runner-ups include Playboi Carti’s MUSIC, Tyler The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA, and Kanye West’s Graduation, among others. Kendrick’s rival, Drake, secured the title of Spotify’s most-streamed rapper of 2025. Kendrick and SZA also had the highest-grossing rap tour of the year, as their “Grand National” trek raked in an impressive $369.6M worldwide.
The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards will broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX, with simultaneous coverage on iHeartRadio stations nationwide and the iHeartRadio app.
