Kendrick Lamar has locked in five nominations at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, underscoring a dominant 2025 that saw him at the center of both the charts and the culture. According to iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment’s official nominees announcement, the Compton rapper is up for major categories including Artist of the Year and Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, with the ceremony set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 26, 2026, airing live on FOX and iHeartRadio platforms.[3][4][1]
iHeartRadio’s nominee breakdown confirms that Lamar’s hit single “luther” featuring SZA is a key driver of his awards haul, earning nods for Song of the Year, Hip-Hop Song of the Year, and Best Collaboration.[1][4] The track appears in the Song of the Year field alongside records by Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Warren, and others, reflecting how Lamar’s work cut across genre and format lines throughout 2025.[3][4] According to the official iHeartRadio nominees list, “luther” is also positioned as one of the year’s defining hip-hop releases, leading the rap categories while extending Lamar’s long-running creative chemistry with SZA.[1][4]
Lamar’s showing at the iHeartRadio Music Awards caps what outlets have described as a massive 2025 run. HotNewHipHop reports that his 2025 output included the album GNX, which was reportedly Spotify’s most-streamed rap album of the year, edging out projects by Playboi Carti and Tyler, The Creator.[2] The same report notes that Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s joint “Grand National” tour finished as the highest-grossing rap tour of 2025, bringing in an estimated $369.6 million worldwide, further explaining his strong presence in top-tier award categories.[2]
The 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations also highlight the broader wave of hip-hop and R&B acts dominating mainstream recognition, with Kendrick Lamar named among the artists receiving multiple nominations across the show.[4][5] As one of the most decorated rappers of his generation, Lamar’s five-nod slate reinforces his continued relevance in a crowded field that includes Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Drake, and SZA, while “luther” cements his ongoing ability to turn ambitious collaborations into both critical and commercial wins.[1][3][4]
