Miley Cyrus Honors Hannah Montana in Heartfelt iHeartRadio Music Awards Speech: ‘This Really Is the Life’

Miley Cyrus continued to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana during the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night. When accepting the Innovator Award, Cyrus expressed her gratitude for the show’s character and her fans.

“This week, celebrating 20 years of Hannah Montana has been a dream come true,” Cyrus said. “Hannah Montana 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 the courage to perform authentically, and that sometimes the fake you can actually reveal the real you.”

The singer reflected on receiving the iHeartRadio award, saying, “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.” She continued, “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.”

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Looking back at the last two decades, the star said, “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.”

Earlier this week, Cyrus brought the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special to Disney+. During the hour-long event that featured a set identical to the show’s original one, Cyrus performed Hannah Montana tracks, sat down for an interview with superfan Alex Cooper (who helped put the show together), and featured celebrity appearances from the likes of Chappell Roan, Selena Gomez, and more. It was a fan-forward event filled with late-aughts nostalgia and at one point during the special, Cyrus declared: “Hannah, she gave me my start but my fans gave me this life.”