Nelly’s latest tour is already heating up—literally and figuratively—as he kicked things off by receiving the prestigious Landmark Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The Hot in Herre hitmaker, 50, was honored for his decades-long influence on music and culture.
Adding a personal touch to the moment, his wife, Ashanti, surprised him as the award presenter, joking that he had no idea she was taking the stage. “He thought I just went to the bathroom,” she quipped.
“Back in the day, when people thought about rap, they thought about the East and West coast, but in 2000 a rapper emerged out of St. Louis who would change the game forever and put the Midwest on the map. That rapper was Nelly,” she began.
“This year marks the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking album, Country Grammar. It topped the charts for six consecutive weeks and became one of the best selling Hip Hop records of all time, and sold over 10 million albums units.”
Ashanti, 44, said that Nelly “created a movement shaped the culture and made history, doing it.” “I’m so proud to honor Country Grammar and the talented guy who made it — my soulmate, my husband, Nelly, with the iHeart Radio Landmark Award.”
Nelly electrified the stage with a medley of hits, including Country Grammar, Ride Wit Me, E.I., and Hot in Herre, before receiving his iHeartRadio trophy from Ashanti, as reported by PEOPLE.
With over 20 million albums sold since his 2000 debut Country Grammar, Nelly continues to make an impact.
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His upcoming tour, marking the album’s 25th anniversary, will feature 50 shows across four continents.
Nelly’s iHeartRadio Music Awards performance was part of a star-studded lineup that included Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, GloRilla, Gracie Abrams, Kenny Chesney, and Muni Long.
Major honorees included Taylor Swift, receiving the Tour of the Century award, Mariah Carey as the Icon Award recipient, Lady Gaga with the Innovator Award, and Gracie Abrams as Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
Swift and Morgan Wallen led the nominations with 10 each, followed closely by Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, and Sabrina Carpenter with nine.
The iHeartRadio Music Awards honors the most-played artists and songs on radio over the past year while offering a preview of 2025’s trending music.
