R&B veteran Usher will be the host of the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which will air live from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 27 at 8.p.m. The show will include appearances from Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Rich, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars & Anderson. Paak as Silk Sonic and The Weeknd. Usher will also put on his dancing shoes and will perform during the celebration.
“I’m excited to be hosting and performing during the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. This year’s show includes an incredible lineup of exceptionally talented artists. It’s going to be a great time!,” he told People in a statement.
In addition, Elton John will be presented with the iHeartRadio Icon Award by Lil Nas X and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. A special tribute performance in honor of John will also take place, aiming to honor his legacy as an artist, performer and philanthropist. Some of the award categories include “Song of the Year,” which finds Da Baby and Roddy Rich’s “Rockstar” battling against the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” Post Malone’s “Circles” and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now.”
Megan Thee Stallion is also up for “Female Artist of the Year,” while the Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Roddy Rich are in the running for “Male Artist of the Year.”
The 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards are just a warmup for the “Yeah!” creator, who begins his Las Vegas residency on Friday, July 16 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Usher has nearly month-long dates at the venue in July, August and December. Usher’s live shows have been magnificent in the past and he recently told Billboard he was ready to take the stage again after sitting dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The anticipation is beautiful. I want you to guess. I want to keep you bubbling with anticipation until I have dropped the first record and you hear the first moment. When the lights go down and you feel the energy. I promise the classics and also new stuff. It’s about celebrating the years, about celebrating the records and celebrating the ones that brought us all together. And also, to introduce new ones,” Usher told the music trade magazine.
