Doechii says Lady Gaga was a lifeline for her as a queer kid

The iHeartRadio Music Awards were hosted in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and the one and only Lady Gaga was honored with the Innovator Award for her illustrious career.

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Rap star and Grammy Award winner Doechii introduced Mother Monster with a heartfelt speech about how Gaga inspired her as a kid.

"Growing up, I was nothing like most of the people I was around and everything about me represented a community of alternative kids that were underrepresented in my environment," Doechii said. "I was considered weird, but it's OK, because things worked out. As a kid that identified as an artist, as queer, and as a Little Monster, Lady Gaga wasn't just a pop star, she was a lifeline. Gaga taught us that it was OK to be our real selves, to try new things, to try anything, to speak out and to create."

The rapper continued, "Gaga was and always is new, fresh, and different. And not only is that OK, but it's ideal. Over the last two decades, her music, her art has constantly evolved from dance floor anthems to pop rock to jazz standards. She has pushed boundaries, including her own and made all of us feel like we belong. Lady Gaga is an innovator because she has to be. She was born that way, and we love her for it. Lady Gaga isn't just a pop star, but she is your iHeartRadio innovator."

"I think we can all agree that Doechii is an innovator already," Gaga began her acceptance speech. "Thank you Doechii. I'm really, deeply touched by your words."

Gaga, who just released her seventh studio album Mayhem this year, went on to say that her career is "just getting warmed up."

"Innovation isn't about breaking rules, it's about writing your own and convincing the world they were theirs all along."

The "Abracadabra" singer also thanked her Little Monsters and the LGBTQ+ community during her speech. "Thank you for always seeing me so clearly from The Fame to Mayhem. Because you saw me, I learned to see myself. And to the LGBTQ+ community, you taught me bravery before the world was ready to listen. You changed the world for the better and your courage fuels mine every single day."

Watch her empowering speech below.