Lady Gaga Defies Ageism at 38, Accepts iHeartRadio Innovator Award with a Powerful Message: "I'm Just Getting Started"

"At 38 years old, receiving an accolade for my whole career is quite difficult to comprehend," Gaga stated from the stage during the event.

Cue the applause for Lady Gaga .

The musician who sang "Abracadabra," aged 38, received the Innovator Award at the ceremony in 2025. iHeartRadio Music Awards At the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, she addressed her heritage and her affection for the LGBTQ+ community during her acceptance speech.

After Gaga thanked Doechii Who bestowed the accolade upon her and referred to her as "already an innovator," the artist behind "Born This Way" mentioned she felt "profoundly moved."

" I’m not entirely sure how to process this because receiving an accolade recognizing my whole career at age 38 is quite overwhelming," Gaga stated. "Part of me feels as though I’ve been involved in this industry for ages, yet another part knows that I am only beginning. Despite society viewing a woman in her late thirties as too old for a pop star—which seems absurd—I assure you that I am merely hitting my stride.

Related: Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen Top 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards Nominees List with Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey Also Receiving Accolades

The artist behind "Disease" went on to say: "Innovation doesn't mean defying established norms; rather, it involves crafting your own set of guidelines and persuading others that these ideas always belonged to them. It’s akin to appearing at the Grammy Awards inside an egg or producing a song deemed too contentious initially but eventually becoming indisputably impactful. Over my thirty years in this industry, one lesson stands out above all else: true power lies in embracing your genuine self."

Gaga spoke about how the voice in her head when she was the only woman in the room always told her not to "compromise."

I find myself thinking about my grandmothers tonight—these incredibly smart Italian-American ladies who completely transformed their lives using just grit, aspirations, and resolve," she stated. "While they did not create new technologies or artworks, they crafted possibilities out of thin air, molding the world ahead solely through sheer mental fortitude. These remarkable forebears of mine stand as the most extraordinary women I have ever encountered.

Gaga then paid tribute to her inspirations, including David Bowie, Grace Jones, Carole King, Elton John, Lady Starlight, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Cher and her "dear friend Tony Bennett who taught me to embrace the classics but never be bound by them."

The "Killah" singer then thanked her "little monsters" and the LGBTQ+ community for seeing her "so clearly" over the years.

"And to the LGBTQ+ community, you taught me bravery before the world was ready to listen. You have changed the world for the better, and your courage fuels mine every day," said Gaga.

"To every artist who has ever been told they're 'different,' 'complicated' or 'too much,' please, never change. Break the mold. The world doesn't need another copy, it desperately needs your original," she concluded.

In addition to the 2025 iHeartRadio Innovator Award, Gaga also earned nominations at the ceremony in the best collaboration and best music video categories for "Die with a Smile" with Bruno Mars (as it received a Grammy Award in February) along with being a favorite on-screen choice Gaga Chromatica Ball film.

Check out all of gudangmovies21's full iHeartRadio Music Awards coverage here.

The 14-time Grammy winner's latest album, Mayhem , was released March 7, and she's been quite busy on the promotional train, appearing on popular online shows like Hot Ones and the podcast Las Culturistas .

Gaga served as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live On March 8, they delivered performances of "Abracadabra," Gesaffelstein collaboration "Killah."

Related: Lady Gaga Considered Cutting This Song Mayhem Her fiancé, Michael Polansky, made sure she didn't.

Mayhem — which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart — is the singer's latest release after The Fame (2008), The Fame Monster (2009), Born This Way (2011), Artpop (2013), Joanne (2016) and Chromatica (2020).

In a statement shared alongside the new album's release, she spoke in a statement about how the project marked a return to her roots in a new way. "The album started as me facing my fear of returning to the pop music my earliest fans loved ," she explained.

Continuing the note, Gaga said the style of Mayhem is similar to "reassembling a shattered mirror: even if you can’t put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way."

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Other special honorees at this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards include Mariah Carey with the 2025 iHeartRadio Icon Award, Taylor Swift with Tour of the Century for her record-breaking Eras Tour and Nelly with the 2025 iHeartRadio Landmark Award for artists whose "album releases have inspired and shaped culture over multiple decades."

The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards air live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, March 17, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Fans can also tune in live to iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.

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