Mariah Carey Provides Shoutout to Late Mom Whereas Accepting Icon Award at iHeartRadio Music Awards

On the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday evening, the elusive chanteuse stepped out to select up one of many evening’s particular trophies — as she was offered with the Icon Award.

The honour is a celebration of her “unimaginable and influential profession as singer, songwriter, and producer, who has damaged nearly each chart and touring document across the globe.” In an announcement, iHeart referred to as her a “a fiercely unbiased artist who set the bar for feminine stars as we speak,” whereas declaring 2025 can also be the twentieth anniversary of The Emancipation of Mimi.

Earlier than Carey was offered the award, a few of R&B’s strongest voices helped paid tribute to the singer by overlaying a few of her greatest hits, with Muni Lengthy singing “We Belong Collectively” and Tori Kelly overlaying “All the time Be My Child” earlier than she was offered the award by the evening’s host, LL Cool J.

Throughout her speech, Carey kicked issues off by making a joke in regards to the lighting — one thing Mimi has turn into infamous for desirous to have proper throughout her time within the music trade. She additionally gave the viewers a twirl, displaying off her black-fitted robe for the iHeartRadio Music Awards crowd and people at residence earlier than thanking iHeart for the glory, and Muni and Tori for his or her shifting tributes.

“Thanks iHeart for the glory. Thanks Muni and Tori for these lovely performances, and LL, thanks for these type phrases,” Carey started. “As a child, I used to hearken to my favourite artists on the radio, and dream of being on the airwaves myself. For these of you who might not know what airwaves are, pondering of it because the non-WiFi model of streaming.”

She continued, “Even now, I nonetheless get excited once I hear considered one of my songs enjoying on the radio. It by no means stops being magical. I need to thank John Sykes, the President of iHeartRadio, and my first supervisor by the way in which … some folks assume it was this different man, nevertheless it wasn’t him, it was John — for believing in me from the beginning. And to Tom, Bob, all of the native and nationwide program administrators, DJs and even the interns who made certain I noticed pleasant faces once I confirmed up on the stations at 7 a.m. Not precisely my preferrred wakeup time. I recognize you all greater than you realize.”

Carey additionally thanked her followers, also called The Lambs.

“And to my followers, my lambily, you’ve got been with me by means of each step of this journey,” Carey gushed. “Your love and loyalty are the best reward, and I am endlessly thanks for every considered one of you.”

Carey, who boasts each African American and Irish ancestry famous that receiving the award on St. Patrick’s Day was further particular, as she took a second to shoutout her late mom, Patricia Carey, who died in August 2024, for giving her “the reward of music.”

“Thanks a lot. Love you, love you, love you,” she mentioned earlier than making her means off the stage.

Carey joins a star-studded record of recipients, together with Cher, Elton John and Bon Jovi.