Lady Gaga addresses ageism in the music industry: “Even though the world might consider a woman in her late 30s to be old for a pop star – which is insane – I promise that I’m just getting warmed up”

Lady Gaga has addressed ageism in the music industry during her acceptance speech at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, declaring she is “just getting warmed up”.

The singer made the comments while accepting the Innovator Award at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 17th March. During her speech, she discussed her career trajectory and challenged industry perspectives on age.

“I don’t totally know how to think about this because winning an award honouring my entire career at 38 years old is a hard thing to get my head around,” Gaga said. “On the one hand, I feel like I’ve been doing this forever. [But] on the other hand, I know I’m just getting started. So even though the world might consider a woman in her late 30s to be old for a pop star – which is insane – I promise that I’m just getting warmed up.”

She continued: “Innovation isn’t about breaking rules; it’s about writing your own and convincing the world they were theirs all along. Like showing up to the Grammys in an egg or creating an anthem that everyone told us was too controversial until it became undeniable. If I have learned anything in the three decades I’ve been at this, it’s that the most powerful innovation is your authenticity.”

The artist also paid tribute to her grandmothers during the ceremony, describing them as “fiercely brilliant Italian-American women” who shaped her career path. “They didn’t invent technology or art; they invented possibility, shaping the future with nothing more than their minds,” she added.

Alongside the Innovator Award, Gaga received nominations for Best Collaboration and Best Music Video for ‘Die With A Smile’, her track with Bruno Mars, as well as a nomination in the Favourite OnScreen category for the Chromatica Ball concert film.

The singer recently released her new album ‘Mayhem’ and announced a series of international performances, including shows in Singapore, Mexico, and a free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio.