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.