With her iconic whistle register, decades of hits and co-opt of all things Christmas, it's a wonder why Mariah Carey hasn't been given this honor sooner. At Monday's iHeartRadio Music Awards, Carey, 55, received the 2025 Icon Award, presented by host LL Cool J. The pop glamazon opened her remarks in true diva fashion: "Is the lighting OK? Beause I don't like bad lighting."
Ahead of her speech, the soulful chart-topper, who has long graced airwaves from "Vision of Love" through "We Belong Together" and beyond, received a musical tribute from fellow R&B singers Muni Long and Tori Kelly. Long and Kelly delivered pitch-perfect renditions of Carey's hits "We Belong Together" and "Always Be My Baby", respectively.
"Even now, I still get excited when I hear one of my songs playing on the radio. It never stops being magical," Carey said in her speech. "And to my fans, my Lamb-ily, 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."
Carey concluded with a brief tribute to her mother Patricia Carey, who died in August 2024 alongside the singer's sister Alison. "On this St. Patrick's Day, I want to honor my mother Patricia Carey for giving me the gift of music," she said.
It's set to be a big year for the singer. Next month marks the 20th anniversary of her 2005 album "The Emancipation of Mimi", though Carey began the celebrations a year early with a Las Vegas residency, "The Celebration of Mimi", which wrapped last month.
"It's really just an incredible thing that it's lasted this long," Carey told USA Today of the album in October, which spawned "We Belong Together" and the hit "It's Like That," featuring Jermaine Dupri and the late Fatman Scoop.
(USA Today)
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