Lil Nas X was unstoppable this year!
On Saturday, the Grammy-winning rapper received the Innovator of The Year Award at Variety's Hitmakers Brunch in Los Angeles. Friend and fellow artist Chloe Bailey presented the award to X, whose real name is Montero, sharing his incredible impact on the music biz.
"He's kicked in the door, breaking down barriers, while delivering unforgettable music and visuals," Bailey said during her introduction of the "Industry Baby" rapper.
Following her emotional speech, X accepted the award, adding that he "had a lot of fun pissing people off" this year.
But putting the jokes aside, the "That's What I Want" singer opened up about some of the hardships he faced, following his smash 2019 hit "Old Town Road."
"This year took a lot of mental strength for me just to even continue to keep pushing after my debut reached such a high place so, so quickly," he said. "It's very scary to try to follow up and keep it going."
Obviously, X was able to do more than simply "keep it going." Just last month, he scored five Grammy nominations for the beloved album Montero. He attributes his success to doing what he "needed to" in addition to being himself.
"...I came out. I was myself," X said. "I put effort into every single part of my career."
Variety's star-studded brunch also featured countless A-list celebrities, and X got some of his famous friends in on the celebration. He posted a TikTok video with his collaborator Jack Harlow, Olivia Rodrigo, Normani, Anitta, Tinashe, Avril Lavigne, and Bailey, as they all lip-sync the viral trend "Bing Bong."
We'll just pretend like our invite got lost in the mail!
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