Billboard Women In Music 2026: Backstage Portraits

Billboard Women in Music 2026 took over the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (April 29) to honor the music industry’s most accomplished and influential women — and everyone came dressed to the nines for their backstage portraits!

Keke Palmer served as the night’s host and master of ceremonies, effortlessly leading the star-studded night while rocking a red pixie cut and a bejeweled off-the-shoulder minidress. Palmer, who released her Just Keke visual album last summer, also mounted the night’s first performance with “Text Message Unsent,” a song from her upcoming, Boots Riley-directed film I Love Boosters.

EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI — the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Kpop Demon Hunters — capped off an iconic awards season run with this year’s Women of the Year honor. Donning matching jet-black fits, the trio wasn’t the only group to coordinate clothes. BINI, an eight-piece Filipino girl group, accepted the Global Force Award in complementary earth tones and midriff-baring pieces. This year’s other Global Force honoree, Canadian rock outfit The Beaches, also graced the backstage portrait studio.

The R&B girls kept things ethereal with Rising Star honoree Mariah The Scientist flaunting her bangs, while Kehlani — who dropped her self-titled fifth studio album on April 24 — opted for a fit loosely inspired by menswear. On the other hand, most of the pop girlies, including Hitmaker honoree Tate McRae and Innovator honoree Laufey, opted for white, lace-accented gowns for their backstage portraits. Zara Larsson posed in her “Midnight Sun” stage costume.

Finally, country queen and Powerhouse honoree Ella Langley rocked a gold-accented floor-length gown, while Icon Award recipient Thalía was a vision in red.

Check out all of the Billboard Women in Music 2026 backstage portraits in the gallery below.