Bruno Mars Set to Receive Prestigious Innovator Award at 2017 iHeartRadio Awards

Wendy Geller
·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment

The iHeartRadio Music Awards is planning to honor Bruno Mars on March 5 with its most prestigious award of the evening, the 2017 iHeartRadio Innovator Award, Yahoo Music has exclusively learned ahead of the official announcement.

The award recognizes the 21-time Grammy Award nominee and multiple Grammy winner for his unparalleled contribution to popular culture and the music industry. In addition to a highly anticipated performance, the critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer, and director, who recently released his second single, “That’s What I Like,” from his third studio album, is also nominated in the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards’ Best Cover Song category.

“I’m incredibly honored to be presented with this year’s iHeartRadio Innovator Award,” said Mars in a statement. “I’m excited to take the stage for the first time at the annual iHeartRadio Music Awards.”

Mars has sold over 170 million singles, making him one of the bestselling artists of all time. This past November, he released his brand new hit single, “24K Magic,” which marked his highest single debut on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, the album 24K Magic and its lead single simultaneously hit No. 1 on the iTunes Overall Albums and Overall Songs charts week of release, garnering Mars his highest first week album sales debut. The single has since climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has officially been certified PLATINUM by the RIAA. To celebrate the new album, Mars unveiled plans for his massive upcoming “24K Magic World Tour,” which sold over 1 million tickets in a single day.

The fan-fueled fourth annual iHeartRadio event will feature the biggest names in entertainment, bringing the music of the iHeartRadio app to life on Sunday, March 5, on TBS, TNT, and truTV at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live from Los Angeles. The iHeartRadio Music Awards will broadcast simultaneously on iHeartMedia stations nationwide and across the iHeartRadio digital music platform. For breaking news and exclusive iHeartRadio Music Awards content, visit iHeartRadio.com/awards or follow the social buzz on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.