Miley Cyrus dedicates iHeartRadio Innovator Award to Hannah Montana

This is the life, hold on tight. And this is the dream, it’s all she needs. 

Miley Cyrus dedicated her Innovator Award at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards to her longtime alter ego, Hannah Montana.

Fresh off her 20th anniversary celebrations for the hit Disney show, Cyrus, 33, delivered a nostalgic acceptance speech at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26.

“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.”

The three-time Grammy winner continued, “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 was given the award for her “undeniable” impact on pop culture, as well as her humanitarian work. Revealing what innovation means to her, she noted that “it’s not about leaving who I’ve been behind, but about keeping the journey of finding myself a lot of fun.”

The Flowers hitmaker added, “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 last."

“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,” Cyrus concluded before quoting Hannah’s iconic song: “This really is the life.”