Beyoncé had all eyes on her as she strutted on stage at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday to receive the coveted Innovator Award.

The 42-year-old singer–songwriter was presented with the honorary prize by another living legend, Stevie Wonder, 73, at the eleventh-annual ceremony.

The hitmaker was being honored in the wake of her record-breaking release of her album Cowboy Carter, a sequel of sorts to her chart-topping Renaissance and her first album to feature several country-styled songs.

Beyoncé channeled her recent country influences with her striking black leather Western-style suit from Versace, which she complemented with a gold-adorned cowboy hat. 

The awards show, held at the Dolby Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Monday evening, honors the artists and songs who were most played on iHeartRadio stations and the app.

Beyoncé had all eyes on her as she strutted on stage at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday to receive the coveted Innovator Award

The 42-year-old singer–songwriter was presented with the honorary prize by another living legend, Stevie Wonder, 73, at the eleventh-annual ceremony

The hitmaker was being honored in the wake of her record-breaking release of her album Cowboy Carter, a sequel of sorts to her chart-topping Renaissance and her first album to feature several country-styled songs

As he introduced Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder sang her praises while listing some of her earlier iconic accomplishments, including her 2013 self-titled visual album, her 2016 album Lemonade — which was accompanied by a feature-length film of the same name — and her 2022 chart-topper Renaissance, along with a collaborative LP with her husband Jay-Z, a Lion King soundtrack and two acclaimed concert films.

Beyoncé looked over the moon as she walked up to the iconic singer–songwriter for a hug, before she whispered something into his ear while the crowd roared.

As she turned to the microphone, she told Wonder: ‘I love you’ and ‘I honor you.’

‘I want to thank you for making a way for all of us,’ she told him, adding, ‘Whenever anyone asks me if there’s anything I can listen to for the rest of my life, It’s always you.’

Ludacris hosted the celeb-packed affair, and Beyoncé and Cher received awards recognizing their contributions to music. The Queen Bey was awarded the iHeartRadio Innovator Award while Cher received the Icon Award.

In addition to seeing their favorite artists win awards, viewers were treated to an array of performances by Justin Timberlake, Tate McRae, Green Day, Jelly Roll and TLC. 

The ceremony can be watched on FOX and heard on various iHeartRadio stations and on the iHeartRadio app. 

Speaking with People about the awards show, Ludacris raved:  ‘When it comes to iHeart, it’s all about energy. It’s all about [viewers] seeing their favorite artists. It’s about blowing the roof off of this venue, man,’ he said. ‘I think that it’s just going to be fun because you have a great variety of people in here as well, so it should be good. And it’s right after Easter, so come on, man.’

He explained he was looking forward to the ‘variety’ the show had to offer.

‘I love that you got Jelly Roll on here, you got Lainey Wilson, you got Justin Timberlake. I’m not only hosting, but humbly speaking, I’m also performing. I just want to be a part of greatness. It’s so much talent, so much energy and so much stuff to look forward to — and some surprises as well,’ he said.

Nominations for the ceremony were announced back in January, with Taylor Swift, Jelly Roll, 21 Savage, SZA and Olivia Rodrigo leading the nominations.

Artists receiving multiple nominations include 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Blink-182, Carin León, David Kushner, Doechii, Doja Cat, Drake, Dua Lipa, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Grupo Frontera, Ice Spice and Jelly Roll.

Also on the list is Jung Kook, Karol G, Lil Durk, Luke Combs, Megan Moroney, Metro Boomin, Miley Cyrus, Morgan Wallen, Noah Kahan, Olivia Rodrigo, Paramore, Peso Pluma, Rema, Selena Gomez, Shakira and SZA.

The Weeknd, Tyla, Usher and Yng Lvcas round out the list.

Song of the Year nominees include: Calm Down by Rema and Selena Gomez; Creepin’ by Metro Boomin with The Weeknd and 21 Savage; Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift; Dance The Night by Dua Lipa; Fast Car by Luke Combs; Flowers by Miley Cyrus; Kill Bill by SZA; Last Night by Morgan Wallen; Paint The Town Red by Doja Cat; and Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo.

Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, said at the time: ‘Our iHeartRadio Music Awards are special because they’re truly reflective of what listeners love. 

‘We’re excited to share the journey on how they became the biggest songs and celebrate these amazing artists with music fans across the nation together LIVE from Los Angeles.’

Fans will also be given the chance to decide winners in a number of new and established categories including Best Lyrics, Best Music Video and more. 

The ceremony will also provide a sneak peek of 2024’s upcoming hits, along with surprise guests, collaborations and the stories of the artists who reached number one. 

Since the iHeartRadio Music Awards’ inception in 2013, the show has included live performances and appearances by superstar artists such as Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Blake Shelton and many others.

‘The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a night where we celebrate the biggest artists and songs fans loved listening to on the radio all year long,’ said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia.

‘We’ll also share stories from the artists themselves about their hard-fought journeys to the top of the charts.’

Social voting began January 18, and closed on March 25 for all categories.