Pinkis making her mark as a living legend!
“When I first heard Pink perform, I was stunned. She had it all — talent, energy, a message in her songs and a stage presence that only the greats have,” the rocker started his introduction.
He added, “Well ever since then, we’ve been friends — not in that fake music business kind of way, but real friends. And it’s because of that and my deep respect for her artistry and her ever-growing legacy, that I’m thrilled to have been asked to present her with the Icon award.
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Pink and Jon Bon Jovi.Kevin Mazur/Getty

“I’m very glad that you found lasting love Jon, but you broke my heart,” she continued with a laugh. “I take this as an apology. I accept.”

Pink then gave a special shoutout in her speech to her 9-year-old daughter Willow Sage, saying she “nailed"their acrobatic performanceof their song"Cover Me in Sunshine” earlier in the night, and her 4-year-old son Jameson.
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“I love what I do, and I love the people that I get to do it with,” she said. “And we’re pretty good at what we do, but it wouldn’t matter if no one came to see us and play with us. So all you guys out there and around the world, thank you for coming out. Thank you for letting us all feel together. I cannot wait until we can do it again, and until we can just sweat all over each other.”
“This is an absolute honor,” she added. “Dream big because what if it comes true?”
Pink.Kevin Mazur/Getty

In addition to her performance with Willow, the “So What” singer performed her song “All I Know So Far,” the title track from her new live album, and a mashup of her hits “Get the Party Started,” “So What,” “Who Knew,” “Just Like a Pill” and “Just Give Me a Reason” before her speech.
“As a little girl, I always dreamed about being a singer and sharing my love of music with the world,” she said in a press release. “Years later, to receive the Billboard Music Awards Icon Award is hard to fathom!”
“I feel so honored to join the ranks of music idols likeCher,Garth Brooks,Janet JacksonandStevie Wonder,” she continued. “It’s a true ‘pinch me’ moment and I feel humbled and blessed.”
Pink with son Jameson and daughter Willow.Rich Fury/Getty

Pink is the tenth artist to ever earn the award, following past honorees likeMariah Carey,Céline Dion,PrinceandJennifer Lopez.
The Billboard Music Awards are airing live from Los Angeles from 8-11 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com