Disney Channel fans will be well aware that it’s now been 20 years since Hannah Montana first arrived — and since Miley Cyrus’ rise to fame began.
It’s hard to believe some of the shows many of us grew up with are hitting the two-decade mark, but that hasn’t stopped me blasting ‘Best of Both Worlds’ on Spotify lately to celebrate the anniversary.
Disney has also been marking the milestone with a 20th anniversary special, featuring an interview with 33-year-old Cyrus conducted by Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper.
During the special, Cooper asked the ‘Angles Like You’ singer how Taylor Swift ended up appearing in Hannah Montana: The Movie, which landed in cinemas back in 2009.
“Get the tea kettle,” Cyrus said before joking that her mom, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, was backstage with a lawyer at the ready.
She then explained: “Okay, so the way that Taylor Swift ended up in the Hannah Montana movie was because, this was kind of at the beginning of her career and they were looking for someone that authentically – no shade – would be performing in a barn.
“We both performed in the barn, and so she came and did the performance. And she had written a song for Hannah Montana, ‘You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home’.”
Cyrus also made it clear she gives credit where it’s due. “Credit where credit’s due,” she added before hailing the song as a ‘banger’.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce giving Miley Cyrus a standing ovation while accepting her Innovator Award at the #iHeartAwards.
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) March 27, 2026
Since that interview aired, Cyrus has gone on to receive the Innovator Award at this year’s iHeartRadio Awards, which took place yesterday (March 26).
As the ‘Wrecking Ball’ singer walked on stage, Swift was seen in the crowd alongside her husband-to-be Travis Kelce, with the pair joining everyone else in a standing ovation for Cyrus.
In her acceptance speech, Cyrus brought up the Hannah Montana anniversary and what the show meant to her.
“This week celebrates 20 years of Hannah Montana,” 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 real you.”
Reflecting on the honour, Cyrus continued: “Innovation for me hasn’t been about leaving who I’ve been behind, but about keeping the journey of finding myself a lot of fun.
“I’ve always written songs and told stories because I love it. And winning awards for that work is, of course, rewarding, but it’s not my compass. Because if it was, I’m sure I’d end up very lost.”
She added: “When the win isn’t recognition, but making art that reaches the hearts of people I may never meet, it brings me a kind of joy that is deeply meaningful.”
Elsewhere in iHeartRadio Awards history, there have been plenty of moments that fans still talk about.
When being handed the Landmark Award in 2025 by his wife and R&B star Ashanti, the show cut to a commercial break right as the rapper began his speech, much to the distaste of viewers at home.
In the most Mariah moment ever, the legendary singer accepted the Icon Award in 2025 and asked: “Is the lighting okay? Because I don’t like bad lighting.”
She then said: “As a kid, I used to listen to my favorite artist on the radio and dream of being on the airwaves myself. Now, for those of you who may not know what airwaves are, think of it as the non-wifi version of streaming, okay?”
But she then shouted out her late mom, concluding: “On this Saint Patrick’s Day, I want to honor my mother Patricia Carey for giving me the gift of music.”
During 2018’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, Eminem and Kehlani’s performance of ‘Nowhere Fast’ included a new verse which took aim at the NRA (National Rifle Association).
“This whole country is going nuts/ And the NRA is in our way/ They’re responsible for this whole production/ They hold the strings, they control the puppet,” the ‘Slim Shady’ rapper said in his new lyrics.
When she won trophies for Best New Artist and Best New Hip-Hop Artist, in which she was the only female nominee in both categories, in 2018, Cardi B didn’t hesitate in shouting out her haters.
“I wanna thanks my haters too because… ha ha ha. They be downloading my stuff to talk crap about me but it benefits me!”
In 2017, frontman Chris Martin accepted the award for Best Tour alongside three of Katy Perry’s young dancers, with his speech poking fun at the band’s age and their cuteness in comparison to One Direction.
When performing ‘B*tch Better Have My Money’ in 2015, Rhianna brought an actual helicopter on stage. Pretty memorable, if you ask me.
In 2015, Swift teamed up with Madonna to perform ‘Ghosttown’, with the pop icon later presented her ‘favorite guitar player’ Swift with the Song of the Year Award for ‘Shake It Off’. Truly iconic.