The 30-year-old singer-songwriter added another major accolade to their historic year on Thursday night. Kehlani took home the award for R&B Song of the Year for their smash hit “Folded” at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The win comes just weeks after the track secured two Grammy Awards, cementing “Folded” as one of the most celebrated R&B songs of the decade.
Emerging victorious from a competitive category that included Mariah the Scientist’s “Burning Blue,” Leon Thomas’ “MUTT,” Chris Brown’s “Residuals,” and the PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake collaboration “SOMEBODY LOVES ME,” Kehlani’s win was met with a roaring standing ovation. The victory also marked a significant moment for the genre, proving that slow-burning, emotionally complex R&B still commands the mainstream spotlight.
Before accepting the trophy from NE-YO, Kehlani delivered one of the most talked-about performances of the evening. Staying true to the song’s theme, they transformed the stage into a laundromat, surrounded by dancers who meticulously folded clothes as Kehlani delivered a soulful, breath-controlled rendition of the track. The visual storytelling added a layer of intimacy to the performance, grounding the song’s themes of reclaiming peace and navigating emotional labor in a relatable, everyday setting.
Taking the stage afterward, Kehlani was visibly catching their breath but overflowing with gratitude. “This is really cool,” they said, addressing the audience. “I just want to say thank you to everybody who helped me write this record. Thank you to my fans. Through all the years, it’s been a really long time I’ve been doing this, and my fans have never left my side when things didn’t go the way that they thought it should for me. This year I’m having with this record leading the way, it feels like a win for all of us”.
“Folded” has been a cultural force since its release in June 2025. It became Kehlani’s highest-charting solo single, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and marking their first Top 10 entry. The song’s success was amplified by the “Folded Homage Package” EP, which featured remixes from R&B titans including Brandy, Toni Braxton, JoJo, Mario, Ne-Yo, and Tank, a full-circle moment for Kehlani, who grew up idolizing those very artists.
The song’s resonance also speaks to a broader cultural shift. After years of the music industry prioritizing immediacy and viral moments, audiences are gravitating back toward depth and emotional patience. Kehlani’s double Grammy win for “Folded” in February, taking home both Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, signaled that the genre was not just surviving but thriving when given the space to breathe.
With the iHeartRadio trophy now in hand, Kehlani is gearing up for the release of their self-titled fifth studio album, set to arrive on April 24, coinciding with their birthday. The 17-track project promises to explore themes of love, transformation, and vulnerability, following the momentum of “Folded” and the follow-up single “Out The Window” .
As Kehlani shifts focus from awards season to the album rollout, one thing is clear: 2026 is shaping up to be the year the industry fully catches up to what fans have known for 15 years. The singer who once sofa-surfed as a teenager is now standing at the center of R&B’s revival, with no signs of slowing down.
