Miley Cyrus, the "Wrecking Ball" singer, is receiving a bouquet of appreciation as she accepts the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2026 in Los Angeles on March 26th. While accepting the award, she shared a heartening lesson she learned from her iconic character, Hannah Montana.
"Hannah Montana inspired me so much in my own career," said Cyrus. "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."
Cyrus, who joins a prestigious list of previous winners including Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga, explained that innovation for her isn't about leaving behind who she's been but rather about keeping the journey of self-discovery a fun one.
"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," she continued. "Because if it was, I'm sure I'd end up very lost."
Instead, Cyrus finds fulfillment in "making art that reaches the hearts of people I may never meet."
"It brings me a kind of joy that is deeply meaningful," she added. "Younger me is so honored to share this moment with you, and I'm proud to stand here today and tell you how much you mean to me. This really is the life."
It's been a week of nostalgia for the 33-year-old as she recently reunited with the cast of Hannah Montana in honor of the Disney Channel show's 20th anniversary, producing a Disney+ special about the show with her mother, Tish Cyrus-Purcell.
"I used to think of Hannah as something separate from myself," she told Variety in an interview published on March 18th. "This special is my reclaiming of merging Hannah and Miley together."
In fact, Cyrus doesn't feel the need to distance herself from her Disney days anymore.
"A lot of artists feel like to become the next version of themselves, they have to leave something behind," she continued. "But I’d rather be more like a gorgeous patchwork blanket. I’d rather take every little piece of all the things that I’ve been and create a mosaic of exactly who I am now—not trashing any of that past but allowing it to come with me."
