The Most Inappropriate Outfits In iHeartRadio Music Awards History

When it comes to award shows that honor musicians, the iHeartRadio Music Awards is a fairly new contender. The first event was held in 2014, and since then, the show has given us incredible performances, and its red carpet has served as a place for the rich and famous to showcase their fabulous style. However, as with every event in the industry, it also comes with lots of fashion mistakes — and at Glam, we love seeing that even celebrities — who have access to plenty of designer fashion and stylists — can still have a bad fashion day. This isn't to make fun of them but simply to understand that at the end of the day, they are truly just like us — except their fashion mistakes are high fashion, of course.

From stars who decide to show off a bit more than is appropriate (and definitely more than we actually want to see) to those who take the event way too casually and barely dress up, the music award show features at least one fashion oh-no each year. And in the HeartRadio Music Award's little over a decade-long history, plenty of fashion faux pas have happened, resulting in some of the most inappropriate red-carpet looks. From pop icons like Katy Perry to Gen-Z stars such as JoJo Siwa, nobody is safe from finding a place on the most inappropriate outfits in the iHeartRadio Music Awards history list.

While the iHeartRadio Music Awards is definitely an event that can handle some more skin, Halsey's 2022 red-carpet look was just a tad too much. The barely-there jumpsuit she wore was by Andrés Sardá, and while the bottom portion was perfectly acceptable, the top definitely surprised us. Now, don't get us wrong, the look — styled by the one and only Law Roach, who is known for his timeless fashion advice for navigating a trend-driven culture — isn't bad by any means. In fact, we would have loved to see Halsey rock it in a music video or an editorial photoshoot.

The iHeartRadio Music Awards, where kids as young as 13 are allowed to vote and are definitely following the event, may not be the best choice for a look as revealing as this one. We do, however, approve of Halsey's Stuart Weitzman high heels (which barely made an appearance) as well as their slicked-back hairstyle and celebrity-approved frosted eyeshadow makeup trend.

Once JoJo Siwa decided to change her aesthetic from colorful bows to an edgier look, nobody could have predicted just what that would entail. However, when the "Dance Moms" star showed up to the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet in a see-through jumpsuit with very dramatic makeup, it was clear that the young star was trying to make headlines. Unfortunately for her, the "Karma" coded look wasn't praised by fans and fashion critics.

"This is, giving you black beast," the dance-star-turned-musician said at the event (via WWD). "This costume is my baby." However, the fact that it was very much giving costume vibes is precisely the problem with this look. The iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet is a safe space for fashion, but we do expect the rich and famous to walk down it in an authentic look — not a Halloween costume. Of course, anyone who has been keeping up with the star knows that JoJo Siwa is no stranger to bad outfits.

Katy Perry broke the internet with her revealing outfits on numerous occasions — and one of those was also at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards. For the event, the pop diva decided to go with a black mesh dress with red bows on the sides that left very little to our imagination, as her underwear was essentially the look. The "I Kissed a Girl" singer paired the outfit with a pair of slouchy, black knee-length boots and big sunglasses in hopes of adding some edginess to the ensemble.

However, not only did the look end up in plenty of worst-dressed lists of the evening, but most would agree that it was also inappropriate for the red-carpet event. It definitely looked like Perry was trying to experiment with the Brat-era fashion, but she definitely could have gone with a less-revealing getup at an event loved by teens. Nevertheless, she still made the headlines, and that's all that matters, right?

When Iggy Azalea walked down the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet, we couldn't help but wonder whether the "Fancy" rapper styled herself for the event because her outfit was a true mishmash of various trends that just didn't work well together.

While the animal-print Roberto Cavalli pants were a great statement piece that could have been an incredible base for an edgy yet glamorous look, the addition of the mesh top and black vest made the entire outfit a bit messy and even inappropriate due to the sheerness. Now, don't get us wrong — we're all for mixing and matching when it comes to patterns and textures, but the end result still needs to look cohesive. Unfortunately, Azalea's outfit does not, so even if it weren't for the see-through aspect stopping the look from being child-friendly, the Australian rapper would probably still have ended up on a lot of worst-dressed lists.

Pink showed up to the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet in an all-white look by Robert Wun that was definitely giving off more royal-affair vibes than a fun music event. The singer — who was honored at the event with the Icon award — decided to go for a look that was definitely a bit too uptight and preppy. While showing up in a mesh dress is a major no-go, so is wearing a look that is giving Queen Camilla (and we mean this in the nicest way possible).

To make matters worse, anyone who has been keeping up with the stunning style transformation of Pink knows that this look isn't really what the musician is known for. Pink is one to experiment with fashion, but her choices usually lean into colorful and glittery pieces that are loud and eye-catching. A white cape-like blazer dress certainly doesn't fit the bill, and just seems far too formal for an event like this.

Punk-pop princess Avril Lavigne walked the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet in a look that definitely evoked various emotions. While Lavigne is known for always leaning into the punk aesthetic, something about this look — which consists of a black leather one-shoulder minidress with a plaid sash — is off, making it appear as if it was a DIY project.

Punk fashion is all about experimenting, and the goal is definitely not to look high fashion. But when you're attending a red-carpet event, you have to find the balance between too formal and DIY vibes. Had the "Complicated" singer ditched the sash, this could have been an ensemble that passed; however, the pattern in her hair is also making it very difficult to love the look in its entirety. But hey, punk fashion is meant to make us cringe a little, and she's definitely achieving that.

One could definitely argue that Madonna can do no wrong — that simply comes with the territory of being the queen of pop. However, there's no denying that the look she chose for the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards is one that isn't in line with her title. If anything, it made her look like she was desperately trying to make headlines through fashion — and as much as we love her, this wasn't a good look.

The "Like a Virgin" singer decided to go with an Alexander Wang chainmail dress for the night, and while the look was certainly very edgy, it was also giving medieval armor — and that really isn't a style you want to emulate at an event like this. The fact that the chainmail dress was also mostly see-through didn't help the 'fit to be considered appropriate for a PG-rated event. But like we said, it's Madonna, and she's known for her red-carpet outfits going off the rails!

There is a fine line between looking casually stylish and underdressing for a red-carpet event, and we fear that Doja Cat crossed it at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The rapper walked the red carpet in a Vetements ensemble that consisted of a white tee, leather pants, and a statement furry coat. Now, in any other scenario, we would have deemed this look ultra stylish, but we find that it just doesn't fit the occasion.

The '70s-inspired fashion moment was simply too causal for an award show, and it definitely made it seem as if the "Say So" singer had a coffee date with her besties at five o'clock and then rushed straight to the iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet at six — without any time to change in between. Then again, Doja Cat doesn't seem like someone who cares about expectations, so the fact that she rocked this look for an award show is also a major power move on her end!

For the first iHeartRadio Music Awards show in 2014, Shakira decided to go with a look that was on trend for the time — as matching sets were huge in the mid-2010s — yet undeniably boring for an event like an award show. The "Hips Don't Lie" singer walked the red carpet in an Azzedine Alaïa set that consisted of a black cropped top and a white miniskirt, both with the same cutouts throughout the material.

The look was cute, and Shakira looked beautiful in it, but it was definitely more suited for an appearance on a daytime show than a red-carpet event like this. Of course, since this was the first iHeartRadio Music Awards show, we can forgive her for not knowing what the appropriate dress code would be.

When Carmen Electra arrived at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards show, it's safe to say that nobody was surprised to see the model/actor in a sheer dress. Of course, we love a woman who owns her sexuality and doesn't care what anyone has to say, but Electra's see-through gown wasn't necessarily perfect for this family-friendly event.

Of course, there were rhinestones all over the dress, but there weren't enough of them to really cover the parts that could have used a bit more covering. As a result of that, we could all tell that Electra had decided to forgo wearing a bra: a decision that made this look even more inappropriate. Unfortunately, had she worn visible underwear (à la Katy Perry in 2024), she probably would have still made the list. Lose the sheer at kid-friendly red carpets, ladies!

Comedian Nikki Glaser is probably one of the best-dressed stars in her industry. However, the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards was not really a good example of that. Apart from the fact that the sparkly neon-green dress washed her out, it definitely seems like it could have done with some more customization.

Having your look tailored perfectly to your body is crucial for any red-carpet event, and Glaser's one-shoulder dress definitely seemed a bit too loose around the stomach and hip area. Therefore, it would have been better suited to a casual soirée without a sea of cameras and fashion journalists taking note. Unfortunately, it doesn't really seem as if the comedian has learned much from this fashion faux pas, as she also made it onto our list of the worst-dressed celebs at the 2025 Grammys, thanks to a teal minidress that could have also used better tailoring.

It's safe to say that Nicole Scherzinger could wear anything and look fabulous — which is why many might be surprised to see her on the list. Nevertheless, no matter how beautiful the matching set that she wore to the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards looked on her, there's no denying that it was serving major tropical vacation vibes. Now, it could have been an homage to her home state, Hawaii. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's giving beach wear.

While we could have looked past the floral pattern, the fact that the set consisted of a tiny bralette top and flowy skirt with a super-high slit certainly makes this look much more appropriate for a summer beach day than the iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet. The Pussycat Dolls star rarely gives us inappropriate looks, but hey — even the best of them can have a bad day!

There is no denying that Becky G was trying to make a statement when she showed up to the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet in a dominatrix-like ensemble. The award show marked the singer's first public appearance after her fiancé, professional soccer player Sebastian Lletget, was publicly accused of cheating.

The "Shower" singer walked the event's red carpet in a cutout dress by Julien X Gabriela that combined sequined, animal print, and sheer material all in one. While Becky looked incredible in the piece, the entire look definitely gave strong dominatrix vibes — and while there is nothing wrong with that per se — we do wonder if this was appropriate for the popular award show.

Heidi Klum is undoubtedly one of the most well-known OG supermodels that younger generations may not recognize today, but even with a successful career in the fashion industry, she isn't immune to the occasional style mistake. The German model showed up on the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet in a Christian Siriano leopard-print dress that was flowy and costume-like — and all sorts of poorly tailored. As previously mentioned, insufficient tailoring renders a 'fit anything but red-carpet ready, since it's a huge slap in the face to the institution and the viewers tuning in. 

Klum is not usually one to take fashion risks, but with this choice, we fear she ended up shooting a shot and landing flat. Apart from the fact that the dress made her look like she was wearing a Halloween-ready leopard-print cape, it also didn't do her any favors cut-wise, swallowing her supermodel figure. For someone who hosted "Project Runway" for over a decade, she certainly didn't prove her fashion prowess with this one!

When Sabrina Carpenter attended the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards, she was still a Disney teen star trying to find her place in the spotlight. However, just because she was young, that doesn't mean her team shouldn't have known better. When the "Espresso" singer walked down the event's red carpet, her asymmetrical black dress looked sack-like and wrinkly.

Between the two, we're not sure which issue made this frock less red-carpet-worthy. With her petite figure, Carpenter would have looked much better had the dress been a bit shorter — it certainly appeared as if the particular model she was wearing was meant for someone taller as one side of the dress awkwardly touched the ground. However, even if that hadn't been the case, the wrinkles from sitting down in the car while getting to the event are reason enough for the look to be on the list. After decades of flash photography, we certainly expect celebrity stylists to avoid fabrics that wrinkle easily — but unfortunately, Carpenter's team had to learn that the hard way. Now, if you care for more celebrity fashion mistakes, check out the most inappropriate celebrity outfits of 2024!