The 2026 Billboard Women in Music Awards took over Hollywood on Wednesday night, and from the red carpet to a ceremony presided over by host Keke Palmer, one thing was clear: This wasn’t just a celebration. It felt like a moment.
The guest list alone read like a snapshot of where music is right now — and where it’s headed: Teyana Taylor. Zara Larsson. And the Oscar-winning KPop Demon Hunters trio — Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — bringing global star power.
Yahoo was on the carpet talking to more than 15 artists spanning different genres — pop, country, hip-hop — and the message was surprisingly unified: There’s never been a more expansive (or exciting) time to be a woman in music. “Everybody here’s an inspiration to me,” Mariah the Scientist, who took home the Rising Star award, told us, summing up the tone of the evening in a single sentence.
That next-gen energy was everywhere, especially in artists like Ella Langley. Fresh off a buzzy Stagecoach set, the “Choosin’ Texas” breakout is not only making noise in country, she’s also making history, recently breaking a decade-old record held by Taylor Swift.
“It means that my head’s spinning around like an owl,” Langley joked on the carpet when we asked her about the milestone moment. “You ever seen that? It’s pretty scary. It’s nuts. I’m just excited.”
Inside, the energy only ramped up, with high-gloss fashion, emotional speeches and performances that felt less like a victory lap and more like a handoff from one generation of powerhouses to the next.
Below, take a look at the best moments from the night, from standout style to the quotes and superlatives that defined it.
Zara Larsson performs at Billboard Women in Music.
(Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
The Swedish pop star brought the energy early with a high-octane performance of “Midnight Sun,” which had Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami dancing and singing from their seats. Larsson used her Breakthrough Artist win to gently (but firmly) reframe the narrative. Yes, she’s having a moment. No, she’s not new.
“There are so many years of hard work behind an overnight success,” Larsson told the crowd, reflecting on what she described as a long-awaited career renaissance.
In her speech, she got even more candid about the shift that got her here: letting go of chasing trying to be “the best” and instead becoming “the most me.” The result, she suggested, isn’t a sudden glow-up — it’s alignment. And maybe that’s the real breakthrough.
Best from-the-heart moment: Ella Langley
Ella Langley accepts the Powerhouse Award.
(Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Introduced by fellow country star Lainey Wilson, who praised her friend as “still Ella,” despite all the recent success, Langley delivered one of the night’s realest moments. She first took the stage for a stripped-down performance of her record-breaking No. 1 hit “Choosin’ Texas,” setting the tone for what followed.
Then came the speech, and at an event where teleprompter hiccups were already in play, Langley ditched it altogether.
“I really tried to write a speech for a long time, and then I procrastinated until right now,” she laughed, before shouting out her largely female team.
What followed was entirely off the cuff. “To me, ‘powerhouse’ is strength. It’s resilience. It’s coming back when you don’t necessarily want to, but you feel like, I’m going to fight for this,” she said. “This is something I’ve wanted to do my whole entire life. … There wasn’t a day I wanted to be anything else.”
Most worth the wait: Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor at the Hollywood Palladium.
(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Fashionably late and immediately forgiven, Taylor was the last to hit the carpet. That cut into her interview time, but she made up for it in the best way possible: stopping to hug every person in her path on the way inside.
Introduced by legend Dionne Warwick — who earned one of the night’s few standing ovations — Taylor was honored as Billboard’s Women in Music Visionary, a title that fits her multi-hyphenate career to a tee After a stripped-down performance of “Bed of Roses,” she took the stage and thanked her mother.
And despite earning critical acclaim (and an Oscar nomination) for her acting work, Taylor made one thing crystal clear: “Music is my first love.”
Most daring look: Tyla
Tyla at Billboard Women in Music.
(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Tyla didn’t just wear a look — she owned it. The singer stepped out in a barely there, feathered ensemble that felt equal parts high fashion and fearless, with a dramatic open back and textured detailing that moved with her every step. It was the kind of outfit that requires total confidence, and she delivered, turning the carpet into her runway without missing a beat. We were all talking about it on the carpet.
Most electric performance: Thalía
Thalía performs.
(Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images)
When you’re receiving the Icon award, expectations are high — Thalía lived up to them. The trailblazing Mexican singer-actor brought the room to life with a high-energy medley of “Piel Morena” and “Amor a la Mexicana,” complete with a mariachi band that had the audience on its feet.
For Thalía, the performance was a full-circle moment. “I want to dedicate this award to the little girl who I once was,” she told the crowd. “To every single kid who dares to dream big: Do not stop.”
Most ‘wait … are you going to run L.A.?’ energy: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.
(Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
While Spencer Pratt continues to roll out campaign videos in his very real (and very online) bid to become mayor of Los Angeles, he took a rare step back on Wednesday, avoiding the red carpet and letting his wife shine.
And she had plenty to celebrate. More than a decade after its release, her 2010 album Superficial surged to No. 1 on the iTunes all-genre charts last year — a surprising second act that came just days after the couple lost their home in the Palisades fire.
Montag told Yahoo that while the past year has been incredibly difficult, it has also reignited her passion for music.
“This has been the best and the hardest year of my life. … I think we’re getting through a lot of the hardships and starting to focus more on the good — what’s next, what I want to do with my life,” she said, noting a new album is on the way this summer. “Life is short. … I just want to work hard, balance being a mom … and now a supportive wife.”
That “supportive wife” mode is also a nod to the campaign trail — a role that, if things keep trending this way, might just come with a title upgrade.
Most ‘still Golden’ energy: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami
Audrey Nuna, Ejae and Rei Ami.
(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Less than two months after their awards season victory lap, the trio reunited onstage and closed out the night in a major way. Fresh off being named Women of the Year, they treated the crowd at the Palladium to a performance of their hit “Golden,” bringing the room to an emotional, energetic finish.
But it was their message that lingered. “Music doesn’t see race or gender; it only asks for the truth,” Ejae told the crowd. “When I brought my full truth into it — my voice, my Korean-ness, my women-ness — everything began to shift.” She added, “As a woman, our power has never been in fitting in.”
Most angelic voice: Laufey
Laufey performs.
(Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
If anyone in the room wasn’t already familiar with Laufey, they were within seconds. The pop-jazz artist took the stage to perform “Silver Lining,” and the reaction was immediate. “Oh my God,” one woman next to me whispered the second she opened her mouth, a sentiment that quickly spread across the room.
Honored as the evening’s Innovator, Laufey used her speech to zoom out, shifting the focus from herself to the women around her. “It feels funny to accept an award as an innovator, because I really do feel like every woman in this industry is an innovator,” she said. “We’re all here today not only because we pushed for change but because we made room for each other.”
Most personality: Mariah the Scientist
Mariah the Scientist.
(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Mariah the Scientist brought the emotion to the stage with a performance of “Rainy Days,” showing exactly why she’s one of the genre’s most compelling voices right now.
Earlier on the carpet, she kept things just as real. Asked which woman in music she’d call for advice, Mariah immediately clarified: “Business advice or relationship advice?” Her answers were just as specific, tapping Latto and Kali Uchis for business and adding Ciara into the mix for matters of the heart.
Best humble brag: Diane Warren
Diane Warren.
(Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
The songwriting legend is a fixture on just about every major carpet — from the Oscars (where she’s racked up 17 nominations) to the Grammys and beyond — so it felt fair to ask which ones she actually enjoys the most. Her answer? Instantly iconic.
“I prefer the movies because that means I’m nominated for an Oscar,” she said, before adding with a laugh, “I’m keeping that shit real.”
Most ubiquitous plus-one: moms
Teyana Taylor brought along her mom, Nikki Taylor.
(VALERIE MACON via Getty Images)
Call it a theme of the night: Moms were everywhere, either physically or in spirit. Laufey, Zara Larsson and countless others shouted out their mothers while accepting awards, turning the evening into a heartfelt (and very public) thank-you.
Teyana Taylor took it a step further, bringing her parents along — and giving the audience one of the night’s funniest moments. After a teleprompter mishap, Taylor that revealed her mom had some thoughts backstage. “It was so dope watching you curse them out back there,” she joked, earning big laughs from the crowd.