United Kingdom, March 27 -- Miley Cyrus has revealed how her "fake" Hannah Montana persona helped her "perform authentically".

The 33-year-old singer, who was presented with the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2026 on Thursday (26.03.26), paid tribute to her former character days after launching her 20th anniversary special celebrating two decades since the start of the Disney sitcom which told the story of Miley Stewart and her pop star alter ego.

Accepting the award, she said: "Hannah Montana inspired me so much in my own career.

"I fell in love with the idea that you can create a persona that gives you the confidence and the courage to perform authentically, and that sometimes the fake you can actually reveal the rea...