Columbus’ beloved locally grown duo Twenty One Pilots picked up a musical honor March 26, winning alternative artist of year at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
The annual awards show, hosted by iHeartRadio, recognizes the most-played artists and songs across its stations and app. The 2026 ceremony marked the 13th year of the event, which began in 2014.
Pop star Taylor Swift led all artists in wins at this year’s ceremony.
In addition to the win, Twenty One Pilots was nominated in two other categories: alternative song of the year for “The Contract” and duo/group of the year.
Alternative song of the year went to Sublime for “Ensenada,” while the duo/group of the year category was awarded to HUNTR/X, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami.
Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun accepted the award in a recorded message, thanking fans and the network for continued support.
“My band is the alternative artist of the year and that’s awesome. That means a lot to us,” Dun said. “Thank you … for all the support over all the years, but especially the past two years with our albums ‘Clancy’ and ‘Breach.'”
The win adds to a growing list of accolades for the Columbus duo, who have earned multiple major awards throughout their career, including a Grammy Award and several American Music Award and Billboard Music Award nominations.
Their most recent album, “Clancy,” was released in 2024, helping return the band to heavy radio rotation and touring.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Twenty One Pilots win at 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Reporting by Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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