Entertainment
Ludacris on Hosting the iHeartRadio Music Awards Again, Being Considered a Musical Landmark & How to Succeed as an Up-and-Coming Artist
It’s time to roll out to this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards — and leading the charge is this year’s host and recipient of the highly coveted Landmark Award, Ludacris.
The Atlanta native is no stranger to the hosting gig. He hosted the Billboard Music Awards for back to back years in 2016 and 17. And two years ago, Luda took on the emcee role for the iHeartRadio Music Awards where he delivered a joyous opening monologue, honored fellow musical legends, cracked jokes at his own expense and also performed a medley of his own biggest hits. With this experience already under his belt, hosting the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards is a return to form for him.
With Luda at the helm, this year’s ceremony is looking to be as exciting as ever. Alongside the rapper’s Landmark Award, iHeartRadio has announced several other major honors that are to be presented. Miley Cyrus, hot off the heels of last week’s Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, will receive the Innovator Award, given out to an artist with global musical and cultural impact. Best New Artist Grammy nominee and chart topper Alex Warren will get the award for Breakthrough Artist. Grammy-winning singer-songer writer John Mellencamp will be bestowed with the Icon Award. Though it is not yet known what awards she may receive, Taylor Swift, who is nominated in a whopping nine categories, is set to make a special appearance, marking the first time she’s attended the event since 2023.
The awards categories aren’t the stacked lineup at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards. 90s hiphop and RnB legends Salt-N-Pepa, TLC and En Vogue will all hit the stage together for the first time — a perfect kickoff to their recently-announced It’s Iconic tour. Vocal powerhouse Raye, whose second studio album This Music May Contain Hope drops the day after the ceremony, will also perform. The Landmark himself, Ludacris will take a break from hosting to put on his performer hat, as he shows off just why he’s receiving the major award this year.
Ahead of Thursday’s (March 26) ceremony, Billboard caught up with Ludacris to chat all things iHeartRadio Music Awards, why he’s looking forward to hosting, and what he thinks of some of this year’s performers and awardees.
You hosted the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2024 — what are you most excited for with hosting again?
Just it being live, because anything can happen. Not all award shows are live, and I just love that element. It brings a whole new excitement to it. You just never know what can happen — anything can happen.
Do you have any ideas or plans for crazy surprises that people should look out for it?
There are a bunch of those types of crazy surprises. I can’t give them away, because then it wouldn’t be a surprise, but there are definitely some really good things. I know there’s not a surprise with Taylor Swift making an appearance. She hasn’t done that in a long time, so just that alone is going to get a lot of people excited. She has nine nominations, so she’s making a special appearance.
There are a lot of awards being given out — how do you keep up your energy and keep the audience excited throughout the night as a host?
I got a team of individuals around me that help me stay sane and keep me on point. I can’t do it all myself. I always make sure that I give love to the team that’s around me. Having the experience of doing it before is also something that comforts me, and I feel like we’re going to make it even better, and are trying to top last time.
Major congratulations on receiving the Landmark Award this year! What does it mean to you to receive this honor?
It means the world, because as artists, when we first put music out, you never know exactly how long it’s going to have impact. So when you can be in the industry for over two decades and look back at it, these are the type of awards that bring joy to your heart. You’re able to reflect on the impact, the amount of time and relevancy that your songs have made in the culture. So I’m extremely excited.
Alex Warren is receiving the breakthrough artist award. As a veteran of the industry, do you have any advice for him as a young artist reaching new levels of success?
Try not to take anything personal. Just keep going in the industry, that’s what I would say. Just keep your passion in the music, and don’t let the behind-the-scenes mess up your your [ability] to stay focused on the music.
You’re also performing this year! Without giving too much away, do you have anything special planned for it?
Something new. Absolutely something new and something classic, [we’re molding] those together.
Outside of your own, are there any performances at this year’s awards that your particularly excited about?
Man, I can’t wait to see TLC — you know, the hometown, that’s Atlanta, Georgia, right there. And Salt-N-Pepa, they are a pioneer female rap group. I love seeing pioneers be able to come back. For those who may not have been around when Salt-N-Pepa started, they’re able to witness their history and people that have paved the way for all of these current female artists. So those are the ones I’m most excited about.
Miley Cyrus is receiving this year’s innovator award. What do you think makes her an innovator?
It’s not easy to transition from child star into super stardom and have this type of role for so long. You see a lot of people that started in the children’s space, and it’s not as easy to transcend all of those years, still keep a level head and continue to grow as an artist. So I just want to salute her for just being consistent in elevation as a star and as a person that’s passionate about all that she does, it definitely shows.
Do you have any final words of encouragement you want to share with any of the nominees ahead of the ceremony?
Man, good luck. That’s all I would say.
Entertainment
With the Success of ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,’ Nintendo Is Launching the Switch 2 ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Bundle
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Fresh off the success of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo just dropped a limited-time bundle celebrating all things Mario.
From April 12 to May 9, a Super Mario Galaxy bundle will be available at specific retailers, including Super Mario Galaxy and the sequel, along with a Switch 2 console. If you purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 at the same time as the physical or digital version of these galactic adventures and you can save $20 at participating retailers, like Amazon. This bundle is $499.99 (reg. $519.98) and gives gamers the hit console and allows you to experience the intergalactic joy of the Mario franchise all in one place.
If you aren’t familiar with the Nintendo game or haven’t seen the new movie yet, here’s the scoop. The first game follows our mustachioed friend Mario as he travels through space to rescue Princess Peach and her castle, which were so rudely abducted by Bowser. Princess Peach is once again kidnapped in the second game by a gigantic version of Bowser. Mario is tasked with saving the princess alongside his little Luma companion tucked beneath his hat.
Nintendo Switch 2 and 'Super Mario Galaxy' + 'Super Mario Galaxy 2' Bundle
This is a limited-time bundle from Nintendo. the bundle includes Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 and a Nintendo Switch 2.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pulls direct inspo from Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy game down to the title and character. The film features beloved plumber Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, and his mustachioed brother Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day, along with the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy.
New characters only seen in the game are also featured in the new iteration, including Princess Rosalina, played by Brie Larson and Bowser Jr. by Benny Safdie. The film had major wins in the box office with “$182.4M overseas, while U.S. and Canada rang up $190M over the Easter weekend stretch,” according to Deadline.
Super Mario Galaxy was released in 2007, while the sequel was dropped in 2010. The first game is hallowed for its atmosphere, story and charm, while the second game is favored for its gameplay and unique level design. Both games are extremely addictive in their own right.
Entertainment
Live Nation Verdict: Jury Says Concert Giant Is An Illegal Monopoly in Total Defeat
A jury found Wednesday (April 15) that Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated federal and state antitrust laws by dominating the live music industry, capping off a blockbuster trial with a verdict that could ultimately see the two concert giants broken up.
After a five-week trial in Manhattan federal court, jurors sided with a coalition of state attorneys general who sued Live Nation. The states argued during closing statements that the concert giant was a “monopolistic bully” that had harmed competition and driven up ticket prices for fans.
In its verdict, the jury handed Live Nation a total defeat — finding that the company illegally monopolized the market for ticketing services, concert ticketing and the use of amphitheaters, and that it illegally tied the use of its venues to its concert promotion services. The jury said fans overpaid by $1.72 per ticket.
Following the verdict, all eyes will turn to Judge Arun Subramanian, who must now decide whether to order Live Nation to sell off Ticketmaster — something critics have long demanded and the states have said is the goal of their case. Such orders are drastic and rare, though, and the judge could instead merely ban certain anti-competitive conduct.
Live Nation is certain to challenge the outcome, first to Subramanian and then to a federal appeals court.
New York Attorney General Letitia James celebrated the verdict as a “landmark victory” in a statement Wednesday.
“For far too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have taken advantage of fans and artists by raising prices for tickets and stifling any competition that threatened their power,” said James. “A jury found what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process. I am proud to have led a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in bringing this case and look forward to continuing our work to hold Live Nation and Ticketmaster accountable.”
Reps for Live Nation did not immediately return a request for comment.
The U.S. Department of Justice and dozens of states sued in 2024, 14 years after Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged with the blessing of federal antitrust regulators. The feds claimed the company had since grown into a monopoly that illegally dominated the live music industry: “It is time to break it up,” said then-attorney general Merrick Garland.
But a week after the trial started last month, DOJ agreed to a surprise settlement with Live Nation — a move that reportedly came after President Donald Trump personally pushed for it. The deal required key changes in business practices but, crucially, would not require the company to divest Ticketmaster. Following that, dozens of states said that settlement was insufficient, and instead pushed ahead with the trial.
Over five weeks of testimony, jurors heard from venue bosses like former Barclays Center CEO John Abbamondi, who claimed Live Nation threatened to divert concerts if he switched to rival ticketer SeatGeek. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino later took the stand, where he denied such threats and said his company had simply outperformed its rivals to achieve its success: “I’m very proud.”
Jurors also heard from AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano; current Barclays Center boss Laurie Jacoby; several other sports execs, promoters and venue operators; multiple Live Nation and Ticketmaster execs, like president of touring Omar Al-joulani; Drake’s manager Adel Nur, also known as Future The Prince; and numerous economists and other expert witnesses.
Live Nation, repped at trial by a team from the law firm Latham & Watkins, tried to persuade the jury that the company had secured its massive market share over the past 15 years not through anti-competitive behavior, but by simply being better than its rivals. During his closing statements, Live Nation attorney David Marriott called his client a “fierce competitor.”
But the states, led by veteran antitrust litigator Jeffrey Kessler, told the jury a very different story: that Live Nation and Ticketmaster had abused their position to enrich themselves at the expense of fans. They cited much-publicized Slack messages in which two Live Nation execs joked about “taking advantage” of “stupid” fans with prices and fees: “Robbing them blind baby. That’s how we do.”
“Who talks like this? What type of company uses this language?” Kessler asked the jury in closing statements on Thursday (April 9). “The answer, I think you will find, is a monopolist who views itself to be above the law.”
With Wednesday’s verdict, the jury showed that argument worked. It took them four days to deliberate, sifting through weeks of testimony and mountains of evidence submitted by both sides. As is typical with verdicts, there was no stated explanation for why the jurors sided with the states.
Entertainment
Bunbury to Bad Bunny Fans Who Bought Tickets to His Show by Mistake: ‘Welcome to the Concert’
Spanish rocker Bunbury has reacted to a mix-up that recently went viral on social media. “Not long ago, it came out somewhere that some girls got confused and, instead of buying tickets for Bad Bunny, they bought tickets for Bunbury,” the artist said on Tuesday (April 14) during an appearance on the show La Revuelta on TVE.
The anecdote traces back to a TikTok video published on Feb. 9 in which the young women laugh as they recount how they mistakenly purchased tickets for Bunbury’s Dec. 4 show at the Movistar Arena in Madrid, instead of tickets for one of Bad Bunny’s residency shows scheduled from May 30 to June 15 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in the city.
According to Bunbury, the confusion might have stemmed from the similarity between their names. “I guess they saw the B and the Y …,” he noted.
Rather than treating the situation as a problem, Bunbury responded with humor when the host asked him for a message for the fans: “Well, welcome to the concert.” As for the possibility of refunding the tickets, he added, “I’m not planning on giving them back.”
Despite the lighthearted tone, the artist defended the experience of his live performances, saying, “I think if they come, they’re going to enjoy it.”
Billboard Español reached out to Bunbury’s representatives for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
The moment also sparked a brief reflection on his relationship with social media. Bunbury admitted that he avoids exposing himself to digital opinions, especially negative ones. “You read 100 good comments, and then there’s one that says ‘terrible’ and that one weighs on you more than the others,” he explained.
During the same conversation, the artist recalled that he recently crossed paths with Bad Bunny at the Latin Grammys, where they were seated near each other, though he didn’t get a chance to say hello.
Bunbury will hit the road this year with his Nuevas Mutaciones Tour. Check out the dates below:
-
Politics7 months agoSEND IN THE TROOPS! At Least 5 Dead, 10 Wounded So Far in Chicago Weekend Shootings
-
Business7 months ago
How I Paid Off My Mortgage 10 Years Early On A Teacher’s Salary
-
Politics7 months agoBlack Lives Matter Activist in Boston Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges – Scammed Donors to Fund Her Lifestyle
-
Tech7 months agoGet a lifetime subscription to the “ChatGPT for investors” for under $60
-
Tech7 months agoReview: The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is the first wet/dry vacuum I liked
-
Business8 months ago
25 Low-Effort Side Hustles You Can Start This Weekend
-
Tech7 months agoHow much does the Roborock Saros Z70 cost? And does it ever go on sale?
-
Business8 months ago
9 Ways to Command a Six-Figure Salary Without a Bachelor’s

