From our Women of the Year — HUNTR/X’s EJAE, AUDREY NUNA & REI AMI — and beyond, these were our favorite moments.
Zara Larsson performs on stage at the Billboard Women in Music 2026 held at the Hollywood Palladium on April 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Polk/Billboard
In a night all about women supporting women, Zara Larsson took the Billboard Women in Music mission statement literally on Wednesday night (April 29) at the Hollywood Palladium, with the Swedish pop star being held aloft by her four backup dancers as she flawlessly performed her Grammy-nominated song “Midnight Sun.”
And that was just one of many iconic moments in a night full of them. Larsson was honored with the Breakthrough award, for taking over the charts in a major way after 10 years in the business, while the singing voices of HUNTR/X — EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI — were celebrated for their “Golden”-powered KPop Demon Hunters success as our Women of the Year.
Host Keke Palmer did double-duty, kicking off the night with the first performance, while Mariah the Scientist was honored as Honda’s Rising Star and Tate McRae received the Hitmaker title. Country chart-topper Ella Langley accepted the Powerhouse prize, and Laufey was honored as our Innovator. But we were just getting started: Kehlani took home the Impact award, Thalia was named our Icon, and Teyana Taylor was presented with the Visionary award.
Beyond our artist honorees, ASCAP’s Beth Matthews was also celebrated with the Executive of the Year title, presented by Kim Petras.
And there were even two big global moments as well, with Canadian rockers The Beaches and Filipina girl group BINI accepting Global Force accolades, thanking Billboard Canada and Billboard Philippines for their support back home.
Below, go inside the empowering night with the 11 best moments from the 2026 Billboard Women in Music Awards.
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Zara Larsson
When Tyla presented Zara Larsson with the Breakthrough Artist award, Tyla called Larsson a “fun time to be around.” Larsson proved this to be true when she took the stage to perform her smash hit “Midnight Sun.” Clad in a sparkly top and skirt set with four dancers at her side, Larsson delivered stadium-worthy vocals and intricate choreography — she even belted while being lifted into the air by her dancers.
In her acceptance speech, the Swedish pop star reminded the audience that though she is winning the Breakthrough Award and may be new to many, she’s been at it for over a decade now. Her secret to finally breaking through? “I became the most ‘me’ around amazing women.”
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Mariah the Scientist
Coco Jones presented Mariah the Scientist with the Rising Star award presented by Honda Stage using a scientific method as a nod to Mariah’s studies in biology. Jones celebrated Mariah’s six Hot 100 hits before Mariah took the stage to perform “Rainy Days,” backed by a video of falling rain. Mariah then welcomed Kali Uchis to the stage to perform their hit “Is It a Crime.”
The Rising Star recipient thanked Billboard for the recognition and continued support, stating, “I appreciate you for designating this moment as mine.”
“To all the women here,” Mariah continued, “I identify with you and all the challenges that come with cultivating your inner life.”
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Tate McRae
Despite being honored as Billboard’s Women in Music Hitmaker for 2026, Tate McRae isn’t entirely sure she lives up to the title.
“The word ‘hitmaker’ makes it sound like you wake up every day knowing exactly what you’re doing,” McRae said from the stage, where she accepted the award from Victoria Monét. “I can confirm I do not. Most of the time, I’m in a room overthinking a song for eight hours.”
“A lot of the songs that have done the most came from moments that felt very small at the time. Like emotions I didn’t fully understand or maybe couldn’t communicate,” she continued. “And turning those feelings into music is my way of catching up with myself, I suppose.”
Prior to accepting the award, McRae performed a pitch-perfect acoustic version of “Nobody’s Girl” from her Billboard 200 No. 1 album So Close to What??? Speaking of hits, the album had plenty from “Tit for Tat” to “Sports Car” to “You Broke Me First.” Whether she feels like a Hitmaker or not, her Billboard chart history speaks for itself.
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ASCAP’s Elizabeth Matthews
Kim Petras presented Elizabeth Matthews, CEO of ASCAP, with Women in Music Executive of the Year award. “She proves that being a boss and being an advocate go hand in hand,” Petras said of Matthews.
Matthews praised Petras and all songwriters in her acceptance speech remarking, “Without you there would be no music industry.” She thanked her team and family plus all women at Hollywood Palladium — a room she described as “filled with positivity and joy and all this estrogen.”
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Ella Langley
Ella Langley proved why she was Billboard Women in Music’s Powerhouse recipient with a stripped-down performance of “Choosin’ Texas,” her record-breaking No.1 smash on Hot 100 from her Billboard 200-chart topping albumDandelion.
Fresh off her Stagecoach-headlining spot Lainey Wilson presented to Langley saying, “She’s the kind of chick that doesn’t just walk into a room; she kicks down doors.”
“It’s crazy to see what’s happening” with country music’s popularity Langley said ruminating on what word “powerhouse” meant to her citing “strength resilience… there hasn’t been a day I wanted to do anything else.”
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Laufey
Jazz-pop artist Laufey was presented with Innovator award by Brandi Carlile. “I was sharing like a dressing room wall with her last year at Glastonbury,” Carlile said. “And I heard this ridiculously angelic and timeless voice cutting through all backstage noise…I absolutely had to find out who that voice was who it belonged to. And it was Laufey.”
After playing a solo rendition of her song “Silver Lining,” Laufey accepted award used her speech highlight women from native Iceland who are “wonderful examples innovative women,” as she put it. She points out how inspired she is by mother famous singer Björk and country’s female prime minister president but ends humbly adding “but I really think every woman in industry is innovator.”
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Kehlani
In presentingthe2026BillboardWomeninMusicImpactawardtoKehlani,Ciara saidshe’sespeciallypleased“whenIgettocelebrateanartistwhosemusickeepsclimbingthechartsandwhosecompassionoffcharts.”
AfterdeliveringarousingperformanceofherGrammy-winning song“Folded,”Kehlanisharedherdefinitionofimpact:“I’vewatchedhoweasyitisforustolosentirepiecesofourlives;tobesoconsumedbywhatwe’rebuildingthatweforgettoactuallyliveinsideofit.Iusedtothinkimpactmeanttoreachnumbersandvisibility;beingeverywhereatonce.ButtheolderIget,themoreIunderstandthatimpactismuchquieterthanthat.It’sinthewayweshowupforeachother.It’sintheboundarieswekeep.It’sinthepartsofourselveswerefusetoabandoninordertosucceed.Impactischoosingtostayhumaninaspacethatoftenrewardsyouforbeinganythingbut.”
