Watch Phoebe Bridgers present Taylor Swift with the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator award

28 March, 2023

Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers

Taylor Swift has been presented with the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator award.

Swift was presented with the award at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27. The Innovator award was presented to Swift by Phoebe Bridgers.

In her introductory speech, Bridgers shared that she had discovered Taylor Swift while listening to country radio while with her mother: “I heard a girl not much older than me singing a song about her own life, and that song was really good. Taylor has always told the truth. She’s written songs from exactly where she is.”

“Her music shifted genre in the same way life does — in the same way being 16 is totally incomparable to being 18, 22, 25, 28. I’m grateful that I’ve grown up in a world with Taylor Swift in it. Or, ‘The World (Taylor’s Version),’” Bridgers added.

Watch Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech below.

Throughout her acceptance speech, Swift thanked her fans for supporting her through her genre switches and while she rerecorded her entire discography. “I really want everyone to know, especially young people, that the hundreds or thousands of dumb ideas that I’ve had have led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail.”

Swift added: “I try as hard as I can not to fail cause it’s embarrassing, but I do give myself permission to, and you should too. So go easy on yourselves, and make the right choices that feel right for you, and someday someone might think that you’ve been innovative. Thank you so much for this.”

Taylor Swift also pointed out that Phoebe Bridgers is set to join her on the ‘Eras’ tour throughout May. Swift most recently invited Marcus Mumford to perform with her on March 25 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. The pair performed her ‘Evermore’ track ‘Cowboy Like Me’ for the first time on her ‘Eras’ tour during her second show at the venue.

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