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Cher took the stage at this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards live at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to accept the Icon Award for her legendary, decade-spanning contributions within the music and entertainment industry. The "After All" standout has garnered 17 top 10 hits since her debut in 1965, and her legacy extends far beyond music into television, activism, fashion, and so much more.
Meryl Streep presented Cher with the award, prefacing the acceptance with kind words about her dear friend.
"When I think of Cher I think of her giant heart. How open it is. How strong it is. How battered it is, and how she leads with her heart. She just puts it all out there."
Jennifer Hudson took the stage to deliver an extremely epic rendition of Cher classic "If I Could Turn Back Time." She was soon joined by Cher who switched up the set with a lively performance of "Believe." After an unmatched production filled with bright lights, unbelievable energy, and a duet that set the stage on fire, Cher took the mic to accept her prestigious award, opening with a joke.
"Before I start, there are people probably someplace that said doesn't that b**** have more than one pair of pants. And I've had these pants for 40 years."
After the hilarious, yet iconic disclaimer in true Cher fashion, the illustrious songstress expressed how grateful she was to receive the award.
"First of all I feel really blessed and lucky to accept this award and I feel lucky to have people that have stayed with me for all these years. Most of you weren't born but alot of people have. So, when I was young, there was nothing about me that yelled 'Cher' you know, so it was about having a dream."
The fabulous standout continued, discussing the importance of never giving up on your wildest aspirations.
"I never gave up my dream and stading on this stage...I love standing on this stage and this is kind of my dream. And I stand there are the music plays and all of a sudden out of my body comes this voice and people seem to like it." She concluded her speech by encouraging others to chase their dreams as she did.
Cher and Hudson were not the only ones to light up the night at this year's award show. Ludacris, Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Tate McRae, also took the stage to deliver unforgettable performances.
If you missed any of the iconic moments from this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, or just want to relive them all, the show will be available to stream on Hulu the next day for 21 days.