Taylor Swift was honored at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards with the iHeartRadio Innovator Award.
The award was presented to the global superstar by Phoebe Bridgers, who said, “I’m grateful to have grown up in a world with Taylor Swift in it. Or the world (Taylor’s Version).”
Several big names paid tribute to Swift’s legacy, including Dolly Parton, Jonathon Van Ness, Simone Biles, Selena Gomez and Ed Sheeran.
Parton called her fellow Tennessee native “bold,” telling her to keep doing what she’s been doing, while Sheeran praised her songwriting abilities, adding that “Anti-Hero” is one of the best pop songs ever written. “Queer Eye” star JVN also praised Swift for using her platform to lift up the LGBTQ+ community.
While accepting the award, the “Lavender Haze” singer reflected on what it means to be an innovator, saying that she simply tried to make the right decision for her at the time, whether or not it was ever done successfully before, especially when people aim to replicate something that has been proven to work before.
“I think the coolest ideas or moves or choices are the new ones, the ones that set a precedent,” she said. “I’m very privileged because my fans have backed me up in a lot of the choices I’ve made, like switching genres or re-recording all of my old music.”
Swift also said that the award honors not just her successes but her failures, because they got her to where she is today.
Swift was presented with the Innovator Award to honor her impact on global pop culture throughout her career.
(Photo: Beth Garrabrant)
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