Lady Gaga was honored with the Innovator Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards and her acceptance speech celebrated the notion that “the most powerful innovation is your authenticity.” She was presented the award by Doechii, who said the superstar helped the “Denial Is a River” rapper embrace her “weird” side, adding, “Gaga was and always is new, fresh and different. Not only is that OK, but it’s ideal.”

After taking the stage, the “Abracadabra” pop star continued that sentiment, honoring the beauty of weirdness and human differences in every aspect, from age and race to sexual orientation and physical expression. “Winning an award honoring my entire career at 38 years old is a hard thing to get my head around,” she began.