Miley Cyrus reflected on the way having a “fake” persona gave her confidence to pursue her dreams in a heartfelt speech at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night.
Amid the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the singer-actress was honoured with the Innovator Award in recognition of her “impact on music and global culture”.
Taking to the stage, Miley noted that it was poignant to be receiving the award in the same week she has been celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana.
“This week celebrating 20 years of Hannah Montana has been a dream come true,” she began. “My double denim and gold scarf thank you, because they’ve been waiting over a decade to leave the house.”
Miley went on to emphasise just how much playing Hannah, a teenage girl living a double life as a famous pop singer, actually “inspired me so much in my own career”.
Hannah Montana ran for four seasons from March 2006 until January 2011.
“I fell in love with the idea that you can create a persona that gives you the confidence and the courage to perform authentically and that sometimes the fake you can actually reveal the real you,” the 33-year-old continued. “Innovation for me hasn’t been about leaving who I’ve been behind, but about keeping the journey of finding myself a lot of fun. I’ve always written songs and told stories because I love it, and winning awards for that work is of course rewarding, but it’s not my compass, because if it was, I’m sure I’d end up very lost.”
Later on, the Flowers hitmaker thanked her fans for their ongoing support.
“When the win isn’t recognition but making art that reaches the hearts of people I may never meet, it brings me a kind of joy that is deeply meaningful. Younger me is so honoured to share this moment with you. I’m proud to stand here and tell you how much you mean to me,” she added.
And to conclude, Miley thrilled fans by making a reference to the 2006 Hannah Montana song, This Is The Life.
“This really is the life,” the star smiled.
Previous recipients of the Innovator Award include Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Alicia Keys.
