Lady Gaga received the Innovator Award, which is presented to artists for their contributions to popular culture, at the iHeart Radio Music Awards on March 17, 2025.
Gaga also won the award for Best Collaboration for her Billboard Hot 100-topping, Grammy-winning duet with Bruno Mars, "Die With a Smile."
Watch her acceptance speech below:
Gaga started her speech by praising Doechii, who presented her the award.
She promised fans that while some people think being 38 is too old to be a pop star, she's just warming up.
"I don't know totally how to think about this, because winning an award honoring my entire career at 38 years old is a hard thing to get my head around. On the one hand, I feel like I've been doing this forever, and on the other hand, I know I'm just getting started," Gaga said.
She declared that innovation isn't about breaking rules, it's about writing your own and convincing the world they were there all along.
"If I've learned anything in three decades I've been at this, it's that the most powerful innovation is your authenticity," Gaga said.
She shouted out her inspirations: David Bowie, Grace Jones, Carole King, Elton John, Lady Starlight, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Cher and Tony Bennett, some of which influenced her seventh studio album, "MAYHEM."
Gaga rounded out her speech by thanking her Little Monsters.
"Thank you for always seeing me so clearly, from 'The Fame' to 'MAYHEM.' Because you saw me, I learned to see myself. And to the LGBTQ+ community, you taught me bravery before the world was ready to listen. You have changed the world for the better and your courage fuels mine every single day," she said.
Her final words were, "The world doesn't need another copy. It desperately needs your original."
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