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Reçu hier — 8 mars 2026
  • ✇Music – BellaNaija
  • Ayra Starr, Tyla, Moliy and Shaboozey Nominated for 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards
    The nominations for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards are officially here, and it is a massive moment for African music on the global stage. Set to take place live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, 26 March, the ceremony will celebrate the most-played songs and artists from the past year while giving us a look at what is coming next. This year, the spotlight is firmly on our very own stars. Ayra Starr, Tyla, and Moliy have all secured spots in the “World Arti
     
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Ayra Starr, Tyla, Moliy and Shaboozey Nominated for 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards

✇Music – BellaNaija
Par :BellaNaija.com
9 janvier 2026 à 12:10

The nominations for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards are officially here, and it is a massive moment for African music on the global stage. Set to take place live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, 26 March, the ceremony will celebrate the most-played songs and artists from the past year while giving us a look at what is coming next.

This year, the spotlight is firmly on our very own stars. Ayra Starr, Tyla, and Moliy have all secured spots in the “World Artist of the Year” category. They are joined in that category by global heavyweights Jackson Wang and JO1.

Ghanaian breakout star Moliy is having a particularly historic run. She has become the most-nominated African artist at this year’s awards with three major nods. Aside from “World Artist of the Year,” she is up for “Best New Artist (Hip-Hop)” and “Best Music Video” for the remix of her hit, Shake It to the Max (FLY). The track, which features Shenseea, Skillibeng, and Silent Addy, became a global fixture in 2025, topping the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats chart and becoming the most Shazamed song of the year.

The nominations also feature big names like Taylor Swift, who leads with nine nominations, followed closely by Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and Alex Warren. Shaboozey is also in the mix with nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Country Song of the Year” for his hit “Good News.”

For the fans, there is plenty of room to get involved. Several categories are socially voted, including “Best Music Video,” where you can support Moliy’s collaboration. Voting is open now and will run until 19 March, giving everyone a chance to help decide who takes home the trophy in Los Angeles this March.

See the full list of nominees below:

Song of the Year:            

  • “Anxiety” – Doechii
  • “Good News” – Shaboozey
  • “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
  • “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and 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 and SZA
  • “Timeless” – The Weeknd ft. Playboi Carti
  • “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red

Country Song of the Year:

  • “After All The Bars Are Closed” – Thomas Rhett
  • “Good News” – Shaboozey
  • “Liar” – Jelly Roll
  • “Love Somebody” – Morgan Wallen
  • “Whiskey Drink” – Jason Aldean

Country Artist of the Year:

  • Jason Aldean
  • Jelly Roll
  • Lainey Wilson
  • Luke Combs
  • Morgan Wallen

Best New Artist (Country):

  • Chase Matthew
  • Ella Langley
  • Hudson Westbrook
  • Josh Ross
  • Zach Top

Hip-Hop Song of the Year:

  • “luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
  • “NOKIA” – Drake
  • “Outside” – Cardi B
  • “The Largest” – BigXthaPlug
  • “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:

  • Cardi B
  • GloRilla
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Playboi Carti
  • Tyler, The Creator

Best New Artist (Hip-Hop):

  • MOLIY
  • PLUTO
  • Real Boston Richey
  • YKNIECE
  • ZEDDY WILL

R&B Song of the Year:

  • “Burning Blue” – Mariah the Scientist
  • “Folded” – Kehlani
  • “MUTT” – Leon Thomas
  • “Residuals” – Chris Brown
  • “SOMEBODY LOVES ME” – PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake

R&B Artist of the Year:

  • Chris Brown
  • Kehlani
  • Leon Thomas
  • Mariah the Scientist
  • SZA

Best New Artist (R&B):

  • Jenevieve
  • Kwn
  • Leon Thomas
  • Mariah the Scientist
  • Sailorr

World Artist of the Year:

  • Ayra Starr
  • Jackson Wang
  • JO1
  • MOLIY
  • Tyla

Alternative Song of the Year:

  • “Back To Friends” – sombr
  • “Ensenada” – Sublime
  • “One Eyed Bastard” – Green Day
  • “Stargazing” – Myles Smith
  • “The Contract” – Twenty One Pilots

Alternative Artist of the Year:

  • Cage the Elephant
  • Green Day
  • Linkin Park
  • Sublime
  • Twenty One Pilots

Best New Artist (Alternative):

·      almost monday

·      Gigi Perez

·      Lola Young

·      Role Model

·      sombr

Rock Song of the Year:

  • “Afterlife” – Evanescence
  • “Bad Guy” – Falling In Reverse ft. Saraya
  • “Dance, Kid, Dance” – Shinedown
  • “Even If It Kills Me” – Papa Roach
  • “Heavy Is the Crown” – Linkin Park

Rock Artist of the Year:

  • Linkin Park
  • Papa Roach
  • Shinedown
  • Sleep Token
  • Three Days Grace

Best New Artist (Rock):

  • Architects
  • Poppy
  • Return to Dust
  • Sleep Theory
  • Spiritbox

Dance Song of the Year:

  • “Blessings” – Calvin Harris feat. Clementine Douglas
  • “In My Arms” – ILLENIUM & HAYLA
  • “No Broke Boys” – Disco Lines & Tinashe
  • “Save My Love” – Marshmello, Ellie Goulding and AVAION
  • “Won’t Be Possible” – Tiësto, Odd Mob & Goodboys

Dance Artist of the Year:

  • Calvin Harris
  • David Guetta
  • John Summit
  • Martin Garrix
  • Tiësto

Latin Pop/Urban Song of the Year:

  • “Angel” – Grupo Frontera & Romeo Santos
  • “DEGENERE” – Myke Towers & benny blanco
  • “DtMF” – Bad Bunny
  • “Qué Pasaría…” – Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny
  • “Soltera” – Shakira

Latin Pop/Urban Artist of the Year:

  • Bad Bunny
  • Feid
  • J Balvin
  • Karol G
  • Shakira

Best New Artist (Latin Pop/Urban):

  • Alleh
  • Beéle
  • De La Rose
  • Dei V
  • Louis BPM

Regional Mexican Song of the Year:

  • “Amor Bonito” – Luis Angel “El Flaco”
  • “El Amor De Mi Vida” – Calibre 50
  • “Flores” – Xavi
  • “Hecha Pa’ Mi” – Grupo Frontera
  • “Lejos Estamos Mejor” – Eden Muñoz

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:

  • Alejandro Fernández
  • Carín León
  • Fuerza Regida
  • Grupo Frontera
  • Luis Angel “El Flaco”

Best New Artist (Regional Mexican):

  • Clave Especial
  • Edgardo Nuñez
  • Los Dos De Tamaulipas
  • Óscar Maydon
  • Oscar Ortiz

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 feat. GloRilla
  • “like JENNIE” – JENNIE

Best New Artist (K-pop):

  • 82Major
  • AllDay Project
  • Cortis
  • Hearts2Hearts
  • Meovv

Songwriter of the Year:

  • Amy Allen
  • Ashley Gorley
  • Cal Shapiro
  • Charlie Handsome
  • Julia Michaels

Producer of the Year:

  • Andrew Watt
  • Dijon
  • Jack Antonoff
  • Max Martin & Shellback
  • Sounwave

Favorite Broadway Debut: Socially Voted Category 

  • Ashley Graham, “Chicago”
  • Cheryl Porter, “& Juliet”
  • Durrell “Tank” Babbs, “Hell’s Kitchen”
  • Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”
  • Jack Wolfe, “Hadestown”
  • Kelsie Watts, “Six! The Musical”
  • Lencia Kebede, “Wicked”
  • Lizzy McAlpine, “Floyd Collins”
  • Meg Donnelly, “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
  • Ne-Yo, “Hell’s Kitchen”
  • Tom Felton, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
  • Trisha Paytas, “Beetlejuice”

Favorite TikTok Dance: Socially Voted Category 

  • “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

Favorite Debut Album: Socially Voted Category 

  • Addison Rae, “Addison”
  • Alex Warren, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid”
  • Audrey Hobert, “Who’s the Clown?”
  • Calum Hood, “ORDER chaos ORDER”
  • Coco Jones, “Why Not More?”
  • JADE, “THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!”
  • JENNIE, “Ruby”
  • LISA, “Alter Ego”
  • Michael Clifford, “SIDEQUEST”
  • Perrie, “Perrie”
  • sombr, “I Barely Know Her”
  • Tucker Wetmore, “What Not To”

Best Lyrics: Socially Voted Category 

  • “Anxiety” – Doechii
  • “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
  • “Camera” – Ed Sheeran
  • “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley
  • “DAISIES” – Justin Bieber
  • “Golden” – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI
  • “Man I Need” – Olivia Dean
  • “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
  • “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
  • “undressed” – sombr
  • “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – RAYE

Best Music Video: Socially Voted Category 

  • “Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
  • “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Bad Bunny
  • “BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
  • “Gabriela” – KATSEYE
  • “JUMP” – BLACKPINK
  • “like JENNIE” – JENNIE
  • “Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Ordinary” – Alex Warren
  • “Sapphire” – Ed Sheeran
  • “Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)” – MOLIY, Shenseea, Skillibeng, Silent Addy
  • “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
  • “toxic till the end” – ROSÉ

Favorite On Screen: Socially Voted Category 

  • AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, Kelly Rowland, “Building the Band”
  • Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good”
  • Bad Bunny, “Happy Gilmore 2”
  • Becky G, “REBBECA”
  • Ed Sheeran, “ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran: A Musical Experience”
  • Jimin and Jungkook, “Are You Sure?!”
  • Jonas Brothers, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie”
  • Karol G, “Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful”
  • Lady Gaga, “Wednesday”
  • LISA, “The White Lotus”
  • Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era”
  • Zara Larsson, “Up Close”

Favorite Tour Photographer: Socially Voted Category 

  • Abby Waisler for Gracie Abrams
  • Adam DeGross for Post Malone
  • Anna Lee for Coldplay
  • baeth for Tate McRae
  • Chris Cornejo for Shakira
  • Cynthia Parkhurst for Katy Perry
  • Henry Hwu for Billie Eilish
  • Hyghly for The Weeknd
  • Joshua Halling for Oasis
  • Rahul Bhatt for KATSEYE
  • Thomas Falcone for Shawn Mendes
  • Tom Pallant for YUNGBLUD

Favorite Soundtrack: Socially Voted Category 

  • “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (Original Soundtrack)”
  • “F1 the Album”
  • “Frankenstein (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)”
  • “KPop Demon Hunters”
  • “Nobody Wants This Season 2: The Soundtrack”
  • “Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
  • “Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (Music From & Inspired By)”
  • “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”
  • “Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
  • “Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack”
  • “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (Original Soundtrack)”

Favorite Tour Style: Socially Voted Category 

  • Bad Bunny, “DeBí TiRaR MáS FOtoS World Tour”
  • Beyoncé, “Cowboy Carter Tour”
  • Billie Eilish, “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour”
  • BLACKPINK, “Deadline World Tour”
  • Dua Lipa, “Radical Optimism Tour”
  • Ella Langley, “Still Hungover Tour”
  • KATSEYE, “Beautiful Chaos Tour”
  • Lady Gaga, “The Mayhem Ball”
  • Sabrina Carpenter, “Short n’ Sweet Tour”
  • Tate McRae, “Miss Possessive Tour”
  • Taylor Swift, “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour”
  • Zara Larsson, “Midnight Sun Tour”

Favorite Tour Tradition: Socially Voted Category 

  • Benson Boone, Cover song
  • Beyoncé, Blue Ivy & Rumi on stage
  • Billie Eilish, “when the party’s over” silent loop
  • Coldplay, Crowd cam
  • Dua Lipa, Surprise guest
  • Jonas Brothers, Surprise guest
  • KATSEYE, “Gnarly” dance break
  • Lainey Wilson, Cowgirl of the night
  • ROLE MODEL, Sally
  • Sabrina Carpenter, Celebrity “Juno” arrest
  • Tate McRae, Fan cam on stage
  • Zara Larsson, “Lush Life” star

Favorite K-pop Collab: Socially Voted Category 

  • “Blink” – Corbyn Besson & TZUYU of TWICE
  • “BORN AGAIN” – LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE
  • “BUCK” – Jackson Wang feat. Diljit Dosanjh
  • “Confessions” – Flo Rida, HEESEUNG & JAKE of ENHYPEN, Paul Russell
  • “Dirty Work” – aespa feat. Flo Milli
  • “ExtraL” – JENNIE, Doechii
  • “EYES CLOSED” – JISOO X ZAYN
  • “Illegal + SEVENTEEN” – PinkPantheress, SEVENTEEN
  • “On My Mind” – Alex Warren & ROSÉ
  • “Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)” – j-hope, Miguel
  • “TOO BAD” – G-DRAGON feat. Anderson .Paak
  • “WE PRAY (TWICE Version)” – Coldplay, TWICE, Burna Boy, Elyanna, TINI, Little Simz

The post Ayra Starr, Tyla, Moliy and Shaboozey Nominated for 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards appeared first on BellaNaija - Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.

Reçu avant avant-hier
  • ✇OkayAfrica
  • How African Stars Showed Up At The 2025 BET Awards Red Carpet
    At the 2025 BET Awards, the cultural was in direct conversation with the political. Amidst ongoing anti-ICE protests taking over the streets of Los Angeles and a stringent anti-immigration policy, this year's BET Awards ceremony found a way to be memorable while speaking directly to the uncertainty of the moment. The evening featured memorable performances, unforgettable award acceptance speeches, and, best of all, stunning red carpet looks. Anchoring different parts of the exciting evening were
     
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How African Stars Showed Up At The 2025 BET Awards Red Carpet

✇OkayAfrica
Par :Nelson C.J.
10 juin 2025 à 17:57


At the 2025 BET Awards, the cultural was in direct conversation with the political. Amidst ongoing anti-ICE protests taking over the streets of Los Angeles and a stringent anti-immigration policy, this year's BET Awards ceremony found a way to be memorable while speaking directly to the uncertainty of the moment.


The evening featured memorable performances, unforgettable award acceptance speeches, and, best of all, stunning red carpet looks. Anchoring different parts of the exciting evening were African superstars from across the globe. Nigeria's Ayra Starr took home the award for Best International Act, a category previously won by Tyla, Tems, and Burna Boy.

Ghanaian rising star Moliy performed her hit single, "Shake It To The Max," at the pre-event stage, shutting it down with a vibrant crowd that cheered her on as they waved miniature Ghanaian flags. Meanwhile, British Sudanese artist Elmiene gave a soul-stirring performance on the main BET stage.

On the red carpet, the African stars in attendance kept their foot on the pedal, showing out in statement-making outfits. While some opted for cultural influences, others chose effortless glamour and even drew inspiration from early 2000s fashion. The looks were as diverse as the astounding range of talent emerging from the continent and onto the global stage.

Below are some of the memorable looks from African artists on the 2025 BET Awards red carpet.

Moliy


Moliy wears a gold embellished gown and poses on the red carpet at the 2025 BET Awards, smiling brightly in front of a floral backdrop.

With the incredible year Moliy is having - scoring her second Billboard Hot 100 hit with the remix of her hit "Shake It To The Max" featuring Shensea and Skillberg, becoming the first Ghanaian artist to perform at the BET and the most streamed artist from Ghana at the moment - the shiny, gold dress she wore on the BET red carpet was completely illustrative of this moment in her life. A gold purse and a vibrant smile complemented the thin, strapped gown. With Moliy's momentum, it would be unsurprising to see her on next year's red carpet not just as a performer but as a nominee.

Swanky Jerry


Swanky Jerry wears an elaborate blue Abgada outfit complete with a blue headwrap while posing in front of a floral backdrop.

Nigerian stylist and one of the memorable stars of the Netflix reality series "Young, Famous & African," Swanky Jerry, arrived on the BET red carpet in a blue deconstructed Agbada and turban. Jerry described the inspiration behind his outfit as "a quiet tribute to every Black dream stitched in silence, realized in color and celebrated on the carpet." Jerry's Agbada was a clear nod to the traditional Nigerian garb, which is typically worn at cultural or ceremonial events.

​Black Sherif


Black Sherif poses in front of a floral backdrop wearing a loose-fitting shirt and baggy pants on the 2025 BET Red Carpet.

In baggy pants and a loose-fitting denim shirt, Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif, one of the nominees for this year's Best International Acts category, kept things clean and retro for his red carpet look. For accessories, the flag bearer of a new generation of Ghanaian rap went with minimalist silver chains and statement-making glasses.

Shaboozey


Shaboozey poses for the camera at the 2025 BET red carpet wearing a suit embellished with cowries and miniature Benin bronzes.

Nigerian American country artist Shaboozey combined his country music background with his Nigerian heritage. Shaboozey wore a custom Eleven Sixteen suit by Ugo Mozie. The suit featured black cowrie shells at the lapels and an eye-catching crocodile skin belt featuring miniature gold Benin bronzes. Cowrie shells also dotted the sleeves of the suit, which was topped off with a classic cowboy hat. Shaboozey was nominated under the Video of the Year and New Artist categories at this year's BET Awards.

Elmiene


Elmiene poses for the camera in front of a floral backdrop, wearing a black jallabiya.

British Sudanese artist Elmiene, who was nominated for Viewer's Choice: Best New International Act and performed his single "Tears" at the live show, stepped onto the red carpet in a statement-making black Jellabiya. The Jellabiya featured intricate gold embroidery and directly referenced Elmiene's Sudanese background. While speaking with OkayAfrica on the red carpet, the Frankfurt-born and Oxford-raised star shared his excitement about performing with some of the R&B stars he looks up to, including Babyface, Jamie Foxx, and Teddy Riley.

Abigail Chams


Abigail Charms wears a black strapless dress with a plunging neckline while posing for the camera at the 2025 BET red carpet.

Tanzania's Abigail Chams, who was also nominated for the Best New International Act, wore a shimmering black dress with a plunged neckline. For accessories, the "Me Too" hitmaker kept things simple with serpentine earrings and silver bracelets.

TxC


Tarryn Reid and Clairise Hefke wear identical black dresses with distressed fabrics on the 2025 BET red carpet.

South African DJ and producer duo TxC (Tarryn Ried and Clairise Hefke) stormed the red carpet in matching black, distressed fabric dresses. The duo, who have collaborated with some of the continent's biggest stars, including Davido, took home the Best New International Act Award at this year's ceremony.

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