Palm Springs (California), Jan 4 (.) Miley Cyrus was honoured at the Palm Springs Film Awards for her contribution to ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, but the singer used the moment to offer a thoughtful critique of Hollywood’s awards culture, expressing discomfort with how the season often turns artists into opponents rather than a community.
Taking the stage at the Palm Springs Convention Center, the star shouted out the orchestra playing her song, teasing, “You guys did amazing – if you’re available for the Oscars, that’s what we’re hoping for.” She also joked that the night was “truly the most elegant Palm Springs party that I have ever been to. There are fewer drag queens than I like, but I’ll be stopping by Toucans on the way back to L.A. to get my fix.”
Cyrus noted how refreshing the awards show was “without the stress of competition,” as the 12 honors are all announced in advance. “So often during awards season, we’re set up as competitors, but we’re meant to be a community, not opponents. There is no single best, it’s only our personal best work,” she said. “Numbers can make it feel like a sport, but performance runs so much deeper than a scoreboard, because each artist, they bare their soul in a completely unique way, and every contribution leaves its own mark on history.”
According to her, people constantly shape and present versions of themselves and this act of self-creation carries the same authenticity whether seen in celebrated actors or drag performers on a nightclub stage, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Cyrus also expressed her appreciation to support “stories like Avatar by my friend James Cameron – it’s always cool to say that” and thanked the room for “recognising their work that I’m totally backpacking off of. They’ve worked on this movie for 16 years; I’ve been involved for like a month, and I get to go to all the same events!”
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