LL Cool J will host the ninth edition of the iHeartRadio Music Awards and Jennifer Lopez will receive the iHeartRadio Icon Award, iHeartMedia and Fox Entertainment announced today. The 2022 ceremony is scheduled for March 22 at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium.
A 2021 inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, LL Cool J was one of the first hip-hop artists to achieve mainstream success with his debut album “Radio” in 1985. He has since released 13 studio albums, won two Grammy awards, and was the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017. In addition to hosting the ceremony, LL Cool J will also perform at the ceremony.
“It’s an honor to return to the stage as host of the iHeartRadio Music Awards and bring live music back to fans all over the world as we celebrate our favorite artists,” LL Cool J said in a statement. “I have a special performance for the fans, and the show will have some great surprises throughout the night. See you there!”
Jennifer Lopez will be presented with the iHeartRadio Icon Award, which recognized a musical artist for pop culture impact and career longevity. Lopez, whose 25 years in entertainment spans success both in film and music, is the only artist to have a No. 1 movie and album in the U.S. simultaneously, “The Wedding Planner” and “J.Lo” in 2001. More recently, she starred in the film “Marry Me” and released the soundtrack album of the same name.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards celebrate the most-played artists and songs across iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app. This year’s nominations are led by Justin Bieber, who is up for best male artist and has two entries for song of the year, “Peaches” and “Stay” with the Kid Laroi. Other artists with multiple nominations include Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and Silk Sonic.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards is executive produced by John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia and Joel Gallen for Tenth Planet. The ceremony will air live on Fox from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET. A delayed taping of the ceremony will air at 8:00 p.m. PT on the West Coast.
