Taylor Swift Accepted iHeartRadio’s Innovator Award With This Inspiring Speech
Get excited Swifties – our favorite singer-songwriter just accepted iHeartRadio’s Innovator Award, and her speech was *chef’s kiss*.
Every year, the award is given to artists who have “impacted global pop culture throughout their career,” and Taylor Swift has certainly done that. A bejeweled Swift accepted the award onstage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre alongside a tribute video filled with some of our favorite celebs – Dolly Parton, Selena Gomez, Simu Liu, Simone Biles, and Ed Sheeran, just to name a few.
“I never woke up, a single time, and thought to myself, ‘I’m gonna go innovate some stuff today,’” Swift jokingly said. “I really want everyone to know, especially young people, that the hundreds or thousands of dumb ideas that I’ve had have led me to my good ideas… You have to give yourself permission to fail.”
@teheleahtehe shes so cute #phoebebridgers #taylorswift
Swift received the award from Phoebe Bridgers, the four time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and Swift’s soon-to-be opening act on her Eras Tour, which started March 17 and runs until August 9.
In her introduction, Bridgers talked about her childhood dreams of songwriting, and discovering Swift while listening to country radio with her mom. “I heard a girl not much older than me singing a song about her own life, and that song was really good,” she said. “Taylor has always told the truth. She’s written songs from exactly where she is. Her music shifted genre in the same way life does—in the same way being 16 is totally incomparable to being 18, 22, 25, 28. I’m grateful that I’ve grown up in a world with Taylor Swift in it. Or, ‘The World (Taylor’s Version).’”
Taylor Swift receiving the iHeartRadio Song of the Year Award for "Anti-Hero" from fellow artists Ice Spice and PinkPantheress.
Image via Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FOX
Swift won six(!) other awards, including Song of the Year for “Anti-Hero” and “Best Pop Album.” These wins *officially* crowned her the most awarded artist in iHeartRadio Music Award history, with a total of 19 awards over her career.
@thethriftyswiftie TikTok · Ginnie
The 12 time Grammy winner and honorary doctorate was nominated in several additional categories, including Artist of the Year, Best Lyrics (“Anti-Hero”) and Best Music Video (“Anti-Hero”).
Past recipients of the Innovator Award include Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Timberlake, ranks in which Swift definitely deserved to join.
Our Swiftie hearts are so full right now, and we cannot wait to see what she wins next.
For now, we’re excitedly awaiting the day when we can finally see Swift IRL, taking the Eras Tour by storm.
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Image via Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FOX
