Country Stars Take Home Top Honors at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards took place on Thursday (March 26), with country music standout Ella Langley among the big winners of the night.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards celebrate artists across all genres, combining fan-voted and industry-selected categories. While there are dedicated country awards, many country artists also received recognition in broader, multi-genre categories.
Morgan Wallen was named the Country Artist of the Year and also received the award for Country Album of the Year. Shaboozey’s “Good News” won the Country Song of the Year award.
Langley, whose song “Choosin’ Texas” just made history after spending a fourth week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, was nominated for three awards: Best New Country Artist, Favorite Tour Style, and Best Lyrics.
She ended up winning the award for Best New Country Artist, beating fellow nominees Chase Matthew, Hudson Westbrook, Josh Ross, and Zach Top.
Ella Langley Reflects On First iHeartRadio Music Award Win
Langley celebrated her iHeartRadio Music Award win in an acceptance speech during the ceremony. She expressed her gratitude for her team and her family, and thanked Jesus:
“The thing we’re always trying to do is just get in there and write a good song,” she said. “So, to see what that can do is just wild. Thank you Jesus for putting this passion on my heart.”
She ended her speech by saying, “This is just a dream come true.”
The Associated Press caught up with Langley after the ceremony. During their conversation, she shared how she already felt like a “winner” because she sat close to Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus in the crowd.
Then, she dove into how mind-blowing it was to win that night, saying:
“This is my first iHeart Award. [I] didn’t even know what these things looked like, for real, I mean, kind of, but wow…it’s really cool.“
Langley loves fans’ enthusiasm for her music, the fact that they’re “getting it,” and that they’ve been wanting more. “That’s exciting for me,” she said.
She added, “…This is what I wanna do for the rest of my life, so it’d be terrible if they didn’t.”
Noting how she’s “never been in a box,” Langley said she’s thankful that people are along for the ride as she strives toward becoming a better performer and songwriter.
Watch Ella Langley reflect on her first iHeartRadio Music Award win in the video below. Congratulations to her!
