Beyoncé to receive Innovator Award at iHeartRadio Music Awards

FILE - Beyoncé performs at the Wolstein Center, Nov. 4, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. Beyoncé is full of surprises — and on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, dropped yet another one. Her forthcoming album has a name: Act II: Cowboy Carter. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Days after Beyoncé releases her highly anticipated eighth studio album, she’ll make an appearance at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards to receive its innovator award.

Beyoncé will appear at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to accept the honor during the April 1 ceremony hosted by Ludacris. She’s being recognized for her pioneering career: for decades of creative risks and influencing pop culture on a mass scale, as well as last year’s groundbreaking Renaissance World Tour.

Ludacris will also perform, joining a previously announced lineup of Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Tate McRae.

Cher will be presented with the iHeartRadio icon award.

Beyoncé's upcoming “Act ll: Cowboy Carter” is the follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed “Act I: Renaissance.”

Last month, the superstar singer became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart after the uptempo country stomp “Texas Hold ’Em” reached No. 1 on the country airplay chart.

This year, Beyoncé scored five iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations, including R&B artist of the year, R&B song of the year (for “Cuff It,”) favorite tour style, best fan army and a new category, favorite on screen, for “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”

Beyoncé's new album will be called ‘Act II: Cowboy Carter’

FILE - In this July 10, 2019 file photograph, singer Taylor Swift performs at Amazon Music's Prime Day concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Powered by big stadium tours from artists like Swift and Beyoncé, ticket sales are booming and it appears likely that live acts will continue to draw massive crowds after the pandemic closed down concert venues globally for close to two years. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

A swift rebound and unprecedented tickets sales for live music after pandemic shut venues down

FILE - Beyonce performs at a Get Out the Vote concert for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2016. Beyonce teased the possibility of new music during a Verizon Super Bowl ad, and then added a cryptic Instagram video that ended with the words "act ii" and a release date of March 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to claim top spot on Billboard’s country music chart

Taylor Swift leads the nominations with nine, followed closely by Jelly Roll, SZA, and 21 Savage with eight. Behind them is Olivia Rodrigo, who received seven.

Fans can vote in several categories including best lyrics, best music video, best fan army, social star award, favorite tour photographer, TikTok bop of the year, favorite tour style and two new fields: favorite on screen and favorite debut album.

Social voting is open at iHeartRadio.com/awards and will close on March 25 at 11:59 p.m. PDT for all categories.

The show will air live on Fox stations beginning at 8 p.m. EDT. It will also air on iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. and the app.

MARIA SHERMAN

Music Journalist

Beyoncé will receive the Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards