Mariah Carey was honored with the Icon Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, held on Monday, March 17, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The “Emotions” singer is only the sixth artist to receive this prestigious award, joining the ranks of Bon Jovi, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Pink, and Cher.
Before Carey took the stage to accept the award, host LL Cool J shared a heartfelt tribute to the singer. Performers Muni Long and Tori Kelly also paid tribute by singing “We Belong Together” and “Always Be My Baby,” respectively.
Mariah began her acceptance speech with a lighthearted comment about the lighting. “I just want to ask you a question—is the lighting OK? Because I don’t like bad lighting,” she joked, with LL Cool J assuring her it was perfect. She then asked, “Do you like the ensemble?”
Reflecting on her career, Carey recalled her childhood dreams of being on the radio. “As a kid, I used to listen to my favorite artists on the radio, and dreamed of being on the airwaves myself,” she said. She added with a smile, “For those of you who may not know what airwaves are, think of it as the non-WiFi version of streaming.” She continued, “Even now, I still get excited when I hear one of my songs playing on the radio. It never stops being magical.”
Carey took a moment to thank John Sykes, President of iHeartRadio, who was also her first manager at the start of her career. “Some people think it was this other guy, but it wasn’t him, it was John,” she clarified.
She ended her speech with gratitude for her fans. “To my fans, my Lambily, you’ve been with me through every step of this journey. Your love and loyalty are the greatest gift, and I’m endlessly thankful for each one of you,” she said. Finally, she honored her late mother, Patricia Carey, on St. Patrick’s Day, “I want to honor my mother, Patricia Carey, for giving me the gift of music. Thank you so much. Love you, love you, love you!”
