Miley Cyrus is well aware that “Hannah Montana,” the Disney Channel show and character that made her famous, turns 20 in 2026 and she’s got the bangs to prove it. On January 4, 2026, the pop star and former coach on “The Voice” confirmed at the Critics Choice Awards that she is planning to revisit the character this year, even adopting a hairstyle similar to Hannah’s to prepare.
Miley Cyrus Says She Wants to Celebrate Hannah Montana ‘As Much as Anyone’
“Hannah Montana” aired on Disney Channel from 2006 to 2011, with Cyrus portraying teenager Miley Stewart, who secretly lived a double life as a typical high school student and international pop star Hannah Montana. The show catapulted Cyrus to fame with best-selling albums, sold-out concert tours, and a feature film.
In 2024, Cyrus cried as she was honored at the Disney Legends Ceremony, telling the crowd that from the moment she was cast in the show, “in my heart I was Hannah Montana, and I was so proud to be.”
Thanks to the new song she wrote and sang for “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — called “Dream as One” — Cyrus has kicked off 2026 with multiple award show appearances. At the Critics Choice Awards, she confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that she’s very “aware” this year marks the 20th anniversary of “Hannah Montana” — and she said she’s making plans to celebrate.
Cyrus said the fans “deserve” something to mark the 20th anniversary, noting, “We gotta celebrate. There’s like a big birthday party I’m imagining. So I am on it, yes. I want to honor Hannah as much as anyone.”
Pointing to her hairstyle, Cyrus also quipped, “I’ve even been lightening the hair and getting the bangs, you know!”
Cyrus also confirmed something was in the works the night before, telling Variety she was “hard at work” on developing a proper celebration for the anniversary.
Jake Champion Gushed Over Miley Cyrus, Revealing He Grew Up With ‘Hannah Montana’
GettyWhile talking to Entertainment Tonight, Cyrus stood with “Avatar: Fire and Ash” star Jake Champion and told him, “When you said you’ve been watching ‘Hannah’ since you were three, I yelled ‘Be quiet!’
He then gushed, “Can I just say … growing up, small town, southwest Virginia, Miley from ‘Hannah Montana’ — your whole life has meant so much to me and, like, my neighbors, my family. Literally, you’re like, American royalty, kind of, but even better.”
“That means everything to me, thank you so much,” Cyrus replied, noting that she loves hearing how the series “impacted people.”
She continued, “I always love when people got to grow up with the whole thing because I never think of that, because I was the character. So I didn’t get to experience it in the same way.”
