Tate McRae has hits on hits on hitsm and now she will be recognized at 2026 Billboard Women in Music with the Hitmaker Award.
In the last year, the Calgary-born pop singer had multiple charting hits in the U.S., including her first No. 1 song, with her collaboration with Morgan Wallen, "What I Want.” The seething clapback “Tit For Tat” peaked at No. 3, and the Y2K pop-tinged “Sports Car” claimed No. 16.
She will receive the award at the global Billboard Women in Music ceremony on April 29, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
“The 2026 Billboard Women in Music honours artists who are not only shaping the sound of today, but defining the culture of tomorrow,” says Jason Lipshutz, Billboard‘s co-chief content officer.
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“This year’s honourees represent bold creativity, global influence and artistic excellence across genres. From breakthrough voices to enduring icons, each of these women is pushing the industry forward in powerful ways.”
Hosted by Keke Palmer, several influential women in music are set to receive recognition at the spring ceremony, including Teyana Taylor, Ella Langley, Kehlani, Laufey and Zara Larsson.
In 2025, McRae released her third studio album, So Close to What, scoring her first No. 1 record in Canada and the U.S. It was a major feat for the singer, who had been building momentum since her 2020 breakthrough, "You Broke Me First.” She's released three albums in four years, each increasing her growing profile.
This year, she played sold-out arena shows on her Miss Possessive tour. The global outing, it grossed nearly $111 million.
The Canadian hitmaker ended the year with the late-November release of So Close to What‘s deluxe edition, tacking on four extra tracks that brought the album back to No. 2 in her home country. She also snagged her first-ever Grammy nomination for the F1: The Movie hit "Just Keeping Watching."
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After a whirlwind year that saw her earn No. 1 on Billboard Canada's inaugural Top Canadian Artists list in 2026, and No. 7 on Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2025,, McRae will graduate to festival headliner as she plays Montreal’s Osheaga in August.
Read more on this year's Billboard Women in Music honourees here.
