Mariah Carey finally received the Icon Award at the 2019 Billboard Music Award at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Mariah Carey held onto her Icon Award at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 1, 2019 (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Judy Eddy)
The honor was established in 2011 to recognize music singers and their contributions. Previous recipients include Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, and Jennifer Lopez.
The 49-year-old “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer accepted the award in a glittery black dress styled with Sophia Webster’s Jumbo Effie peep-toe platform pumps and an anklet.
Mariah Carey flaunted her cleavage in a glittery black dress (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Judy Eddy)
“Thank you so much for this award. It’s going to look fabulous in my New York apartment,” Mariah said during her speech after an introduction from American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson.
“Icon — I really don’t think of myself in that way,” Mariah added. “I started making music out of a necessity to survive and express myself. I just wanted to create something so I could feel worthy of existing. If I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s that truly all things are possible with God.… The truth is I’ve dedicated my life to my music, my saving grace, and my fans who are unlike any other entity I’ve ever known.”
Mariah Carey showed off her feet in Sophia Webster peep-toe heels (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Judy Eddy)
Before receiving the award, Mariah sang a medley of her hit songs, featuring “Always Be My Baby,” “Emotions,” “Hero,” and “We Belong Together.”
The American singer-songwriter also owned up to mistakes during her acceptance speech.
“We’re not getting into all the drama, all the ups and downs of my career. We’ve all seen them. We all make mistakes. There’s been a few… memes,” she said with a laugh.