Beyoncé to be honored with the iHeartRadio Innovator Award

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Beyoncé will be honored with the iHeartRadio Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards this year.

“Few artists in the course of history have taken creative risks, successfully transformed their music and influenced pop culture on the level that Beyoncé has,” a press release from iHeartMedia announcing the honor on Thursday read. The organization described the “Love On Top” singer as a “global cultural icon” who “has created music that has topped the charts across multiple formats, while also architecting groundbreaking tours,” adding that last year’s “Renaissance World tour” was “the highest-grossing tour in history for both an R&B artist and a Black female artist.”

Beyoncé’s recent release of the single “Texas Hold ‘Em” was also noted as “the first song this year to reach No. 1 in the US and globally on all major sales/streaming platforms, also making her the first Black female artist to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 with a Country song.”

“Beyond creating art that has inspired the world, over the last decade Beyoncé’s passion for philanthropy and giving back with her BeyGOOD Foundation has helped communities around the world on a wide range of issues from disaster relief and water and housing scarcity to supporting young entrepreneurs and career development,” the iHeartMedia release stated. “Beyonce is the true definition of the modern-day artist innovator.”

The Innovator Award is given to an artist who is “continuously contributing to pop culture and the music industry,” iHeartMedia said. Previous winners include Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys and Chance the Rapper.

Ludacris will host and perform during the event that will air live from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on Fox.

The ceremony will also be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.

Ludacris joins the previously announced performance lineup including Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Tate McRae and more, plus a special musical tribute to the 2024 iHeartRadio Icon Award Recipient, Cher.

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