Taylor Swift Dominates 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards with Seven Wins

Taylor Swift received seven awards, including the prestigious Artist of the Year, at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, held on Thursday, March 26. Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu presented five of these awards to Swift, including the night’s top prize.

Acknowledging a Fellow Artist

During her acceptance speech, Swift expressed her gratitude to Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu.

“First of all, to receive this award from Alysa, you brought me so much happiness and everyone else so much happiness with your performances.”

Dedication to Songwriting and Craft

Swift then delved into her passion for songwriting and her journey as an artist. She discussed her dedication, stating that what began as a hobby evolved into her greatest love.

“I love being an artist. I love writing songs more than anything in the world. And I didn’t think I was an artist when I first started doing it. It was a hobby. It was a hobby, and then it was my favorite hobby.”

Recalling her childhood, Swift shared how she would return home after school to play guitar and write songs. She highlighted the invaluable experience of developing her craft in private.

“I was 12 years old, I had the luxury of spending thousands of hours working at my craft, practicing, making mistakes through trial and error, and that was all completely unobserved.”

Advice for Aspiring Musicians

Addressing other musicians in attendance, Swift offered advice on nurturing creativity in an era of constant feedback.

“If I had one hope for you, I would say that I hope that you get to nurture your hobby and your passion, just between you and that craft, and you give yourself time. Give yourself time to make mistakes. Give yourself time to hone your craft.”

She concluded her speech with further wisdom, emphasizing the importance of protecting one's creative aspirations.

“I’m a firm believer that anything you feed your mind, it will internalize. Anything you feed the Internet, it will attempt to kill, and I don’t want that for your dreams.”

Extending Her Record

Earlier in the event, Swift also received the award for Best Pop Album for 'The Life of a Showgirl'. With these seven wins, her total number of iHeartRadio Music Awards now stands at an unprecedented 41, further extending her record for most wins in the awards’ history.