Taylor Swift Receives the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award

Taylor Swift Rehearsing for The Eras Tour (Photo via Swift’s Facebook)

Last night, Taylor Swift was honored at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards with one of the most prestigious awards of the night: The Innovator Award. Presented by Phoebe Bridgers, the award is given to artists making notable contributions to pop culture. Past winners include Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, and Justin Timberlake. Taylor Swift is the second woman to win this award. 

Swift took a break from her ongoing world tour to accept the award in person at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. During her speech, she spoke about never giving up and pushing through, no matter how many times you fail. “I try as hard as I can not to fail, but I do give myself permission to and you should too.” Swift was thankful for the award and thanked her die-hard fans for always being there for her through every genre and re-record. Swift has been re-recording her whole catalog of music after it was sold in 2020, leaving her with little control over its use. 

In addition to the award, various celebrities spoke in a tribute video for Taylor, sharing kind words about her career and impact. Dolly Parton, Selena Gomez, and Ed Sheeran were just a few of those featured in the video. Taylor also won the iHeartRadio Song of the Year Award for “Anti-Hero.”