2026 Billboard Women in Music Awards: The Best Show Photos

This year’s Billboard Women in Music was a packed program, with the singing voices of HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters, Tate McRae, Ella Langley and more heavy-hitters taking the stage at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Wednesday (April 29) to receive awards, deliver showstopping performances and more.

Host Keke Palmer kicked off the 2026 ceremony with a performance of “Text Message Unsent” before diving into the rest of the show, which saw Zara Larsson accept the Breakthrough honor from Tyla and Coco Jones present Mariah The Scientist with Honda’s Rising Star. McRae then received the Hitmaker title from Victoria Monet, after which Langley accepted the Powerhouse prize from Lainey Wilson, and Laufey was honored with the Innovator accolade presented by Brandi Carlile.

Kehlani, Thalia and Taylor were next, taking home the Impact Award, Icon Award and Visionary Award presented by Ciara, Eva Longoria and Dionne Warwick, respectively. HUNTR/X closed the show with a high-energy performance of the Oscar-winning, Billboard Hot 100-topping soundtrack hit “Golden” after the fictional girl group’s vocalists — EJAE, AUDREN NUNA and REI AMI – collectively accepted the coveted Woman of the Year honor.

Every single one of the night’s honorees also performed songs at the event, which annually honors the ladies in music who made the biggest impact each year. In addition to the famous artists who gathered at the Palladium in 2026, ASCAP’s Beth Matthews was also celebrated with the Executive of the Year title presented by Kim Petras.

But while there’s a lot to write home about when it comes to this year’s Women in Music, Billboard knows that a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s why we’ve collected some of the best star-studded photos from the 2026 ceremony – check them out below.