Jamie Lynn Spears Turns Britney’s ‘World’ Around For Special Honor At 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards
Singer Jamie Lynn Spears hit the stage at last night’s 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards to pay tribute the ceremony’s special guest of honor, pop icon Britney Spears.
The 26-year-old younger country-crooning sibling of the “Slumber Party” superstar, 35, was on-hand to present her older sister with the award show’s first-ever Icon Award, according to US Weekly, and as an unexpected surprise, participated in a mini-medley of Britney’s biggest radio smashes with fellow entertainers Hailee Steinfeld (Pitch Perfect 2, “Love Myself”), and RDMA hostesses Kelsey Ballerini & Sofia Carson.
Jamie Lynn would ultimately follow up a set of lively renditions of Britney’s past hits “… Baby One More Time,” “Oops!… I Did It Again,” and “Circus,” from Sofia, Kelsey, and Hailee, respectively, with her own take of one of Spears’ more-recent contributions to the Billboard charts, 2011’s “Till the World Ends” from the album, Femme Fatale.
“What a pleasant surprise, my goodness,” an emotional Britney expressed as she received her statuette directly from her sister after Jamie Lynn’s stage set.
“This is such an honor. I want to thank Radio Disney so much for giving me their first-ever Icon Award. What can I say? This is such an honor! Your support throughout my career has meant so much to me.”
Jamie Lynn and Britney’s mom, Lynne Spears, who also was in attendance, was seen smiling with pride from the audience as her eldest daughter went on to thank the RDMA‘s crowd and her family for their unwavering support throughout her two-plus decade-long career, which began with the All-New Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney Channel in 1993.
“My fans, as always, [are] the freakin’ best,” Spears stated, “and [to the] two loves of my life, [sons] Jayden [James] and [Sean] Preston [Federline], you’re the reasons [why] my heart beats, and I love you so much.”
Following Jamie Lynn’s Britney-themed performance, the two sisters reunited for a handful of backstage interviews and pictures with Steinfeld, Ballerini, and Carson, who were still dolled up in their Britney get-ups from the tribute.
Be sure and watch the #RDMA tomorrow night on @DisneyChannel ? We had a VERY big surprise for @britneyspears ?? #IconAward ? pic.twitter.com/WDVxOh8xnt
— Jamie Lynn Spears (@jamielynnspears) April 30, 2017
In another behind-the-scenes moment, the singing Spears’ girls are witnessed lovingly posing with Britney’s two beaming boys, Jayden 10, and Preston, 11.
The New York Daily News adds that Jamie Lynn’s appearance at the RDMA’s is the first celebrity-based event she’s attended since her eight-year-old daughter Maddie Aldridge’s near-fatal ATV accident back in February of this year.
“Maddie flipped her [all-terrain vehicle] while swerving to avoid a drainage ditch in Kentwood, La.,” Jamie Lynn and Britney’s hometown, the Daily News writes.
“She was submerged underwater for more than two minutes [and] trapped by her seat belt, before paramedics were able to free her and airlift her to a local New Orleans hospital,” the report goes on to say.
In the first few days following the incident, which was reported by the Inquisitr, members of Maddie’s famous family, including both Jamie Lynn and Britney Spears, would ask the public to keep the little girl in their thoughts during the trying time.
“Need all the wishes and prayers for my niece,” Britney requested on Twitter that February, with her rep releasing a more formal statement shortly thereafter.
“Right now the Spears family asks that everyone respect their privacy during this time and appreciates all the prayers and support for their family,” the spokesperson shared, as Entertainment Tonight noted.
Jamie Lynn’s daughter went on to make a full recovery, as her mom explained in an update via her Instagram profile on February 14, Valentine’s Day.
“Maddie isn’t quite ready to return to school,” she wrote, as E! News transcribed, “but her doctors did clear her to bring in her Valentine’s Day treats to her class today.”
“It was a great moment for us after everything that has happened. We are so thankful to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the ones we love, and we don’t take a second of it for granted.”
Jamie Lynn’s Britney Spears tribute at the Radio Disney Music Awards can be viewed in full when the show airs on Sunday, April 30, on the Disney Channel. Check your local listings for exact showtimes.
[Featured Image by Michael Loccaisano/Getty Images & Mike Windle/Getty Images]
