While accepting the iHeart Radio Award for song of the year for his hit “Can’t Stop The Feeling” from the DreamWorks Animation film Trolls, Justin Timberlake took the time to give a unifying and uplifting speech, saying he wrote the song with the idea of “inclusion” in mind.
“If you are black or gay or lesbian or trans or maybe you’re just a sissy singing boy from Tennessee, anyone that is treating you unkindly, it’s only because they are afraid or taught to be afraid of how important you are because being different means you make the difference,” Timberlake said, in nod to the divisive nature of the current political climate. The latter part of his statement was censored. (The former *NSync-er hails from Memphis, Tenn.)
Timberlake’s record was nominated alongside “Cheap Thrills” by Sia featuring Sean Paul, “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, Drake’s “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla, and “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots.
The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards were hosted by Ryan Seacrest and aired live from The Forum in Los Angeles on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, TNT and truTV.
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