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Miley Cyrus also celebrated the 20th anniversary of “Hannah Montana” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night. As she accepted the Innovator Award, she thanked the show’s character and her fans.
“This week celebrating 20 years of Hannah Montana was a dream come true,” Cyrus said. “Hannah Montana has inspired me so much in my own career. I fell in love with the idea that you can create a persona that gives you the confidence and courage to act authentically – and that sometimes the fake you can bring out the real you.”
Speaking about the iHeartRadio award, the singer said: “For me, innovation has never meant leaving behind who I was, but rather keeping the journey of self-discovery as alive as possible. I’ve always written songs and told stories because I love it. And winning awards for that work is nice, of course, but it’s not my compass. Because if it were, I’d probably be hopelessly lost.” She continued, “When the real gain is not recognition but creating art that touches the hearts of people I may never meet, it gives me a joy that is deeply meaningful.”
A look at two decades
Reflecting on the past two decades, the star said: “The younger version of 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.”
Earlier this week, Cyrus brought the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” to Disney+. At the hour-long event, which featured a full-scale replica of the show’s set, Cyrus performed songs from “Hannah Montana,” interviewed superfan Alex Cooper (who co-hosted the show), and welcomed star guests like Chappell Roan, Selena Gomez and more. It was a fan event full of nostalgia for the late ’00s – and at one point in the special, Cyrus explained: “Hannah gave me my start, but my fans gave me this life.”
