was among the major honorees at on Thursday night in .
And the Grammy-winning singer, 33, got emotional as she reflected on her Hannah fame while accepting the Innovator Award.
Cyrus recently, which made her a household name at the age of 13 back in 2006.
Since then, Cyrus, , has transcended child stardom to become one of Hollywood's most celebrated talents.
She was presented the Innovator Award by country songstress , who cited Cyrus as one of her musical inspirations.
'This week, celebrating 20 years of Hannah Montana has been a dream come true. My double denim and gold scarf thanks you because they've been waiting over a decade to leave the house,' Cyrus began, referring to Hannah Montana's iconic wardrobe.
Miley Cyrus was among the major honorees at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night in Los Angeles
Cyrus played the dual role of Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana on the series, which followed the double life of a famous teen pop star.
It also starred her real-life father Billy Ray Cyrus as her onscreen dad for all four seasons, with the show coming to an end in 2011 after 98 episodes.
The Grammy-winning singer got emotional as she reflected on her Hannah Montana fame while accepting the Innovator Award
Cyrus recently celebrated 20 years since the premiere of her hit Disney Channel sitcom
The show, which premiered in 2006, made Cyrus a household name at the age of 13; Cyrus seen as Hannah Montana in 2006
'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,' said Cyrus, before alluding to one of Hannah Montana's most memorable hits. 'This really is the life.'
For the ceremony, Cyrus was supported by her mother Tish Cyrus, 58.
was the most-nominated artist this year with a total of nine nods.
She ended up winning seven of her nominations, including Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for The Fate of Ophelia, from her hit 2025 record, The Life Of A Showgirl.
The show saw TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue perform together for the first time.
Other performers included Alex Warren, Lainey Wilson, Ludacris, RAYE, Kehlani and John Mellencamp, who received the 2026 iHeartRadio Icon Award.
The iHeartRadio Icon Award celebrates an artist's enduring legacy in the music industry.
The show also featured special appearances by Taylor Swift, Alysa Liu, Ne-Yo, Nicole Scherzinger, Nikki Glaser, sombr, Weezer and more top stars.
'This is an annual awards show made exclusively for fans, celebrating the biggest songs and artists they've loved listening to on iHeartRadio stations and our iHeartRadio app all year long,' said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises, and Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer of iHeartMedia ahead of Thursday's show.
'FOX viewers will also get an exclusive preview of some of the songs they'll be listening to in the Summer of '26.'
