Blonds, mature and new, gathered at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night, where music innovators Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Warren and more were celebrated for their achievements in 2025 and beyond.
Cyrus led the nascent blond entrants outside the Dolby Theatre, having recently returned to her Hannah Montana hair for the 20th-anniversary special, now out on Hulu and Disney+. Alongside her was singer-songwriter Justine Skye, who donned a yellow-blond pixie cut.
Meanwhile, in the makeup category, most stars seemed to favor pale lips and dusk eyes. Ahead, WWD breaks down the best beauty looks on stage and on the carpet.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
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After going full-blown Hannah Montana, blunt bangs and all, during the 20th anniversary special, Cyrus parted the short layers and waved her ends. Olaplex ambassador Bobby Eliot was behind the nostalgic style, while the color was courtesy of Kenny Reed.
For makeup, the “Younger You” singer, who received the 2026 Innovator Award, tapped artist Janice Daoud, who dusted her eyes in silver and charcoal shimmer and dressed her lips in a nude-taupe combo.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHe
While Cyrus went butter-blond, Swift went darker. The recipient of five awards on Thursday night, the “Midnights” singer styled her front bangs over her forehead and the body of her hair in a half-up, half-down hairdo, with the help of Jemma Muradian. Her makeup wasn’t her signature aesthetic either. In place of her usual red lip, winged eyeliner combo, Swift donned a “The Life of a Showgirl”-inspired earth-toned smoky eye and watermelon pink lipstick, courtesy of Lorrie Turk.
Raye
Raye
Gilbert Flores/Variety
The red lip wasn’t completely lost on Thursday night’s carpet — Raye kept the trend alive with Old Hollywood-inspired glam imagined by makeup visionary Adam Burrell and hair artist Alex Price, who coiffed her ginger-blond bouffant bob.
Alysa Liu
It’s safe to say Alysa Liu’s halo hair isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The Olympic figure skater brought the playful aesthetic to the awards ceremony and partnered it with Gothic glam. Here, her eyes were drenched in pitch-black shadow, while her lips were lightly blushed. Liu has yet to disclose the names of the stylists she worked with ahead of the carpet.
St. Louis-based colorist Kelsey Miller was the original artist who refined Liu’s halo rings before the Milan games.
Justine Skye
Justine Skye
Gilbert Flores/Billboard
Skye brought a blond 1920s-esque pixie cut to the ceremony, pairing it with a gunmetal, wet eye look, babydoll blush and a glossy plum lip. Dressed in a Valentino suit dress styled by Von Ford, Skye rang in the evening and celebrated the release of her new single, “Candy.”