Riri's AMA Win Filled With Cute Controversy

Rihanna took home the American Music Awards' Icon Award tonight in one of the night's more surprisingly sweet moments. The award was presented to her by her mother Monica Braithwaite and by, well, Bill Maher. Jay-Z was also there (via video message), and so three out of four of the figures "on stage" happened to be figures pretty damn familiar with controversy.

Rihanna thanked her mother upon receiving the award, expressing gratitude to Braithwaite for putting up with her "husky little man voice" when she was younger and saying "I annoyed everyone in the neighborhood, and that's the truth."

She also made a veiled reference to the controversies that tend to follow her, and she wasn't the only one — her mother also made a reference, and Bill Maher's very presence was a veiled reference in itself.

Justin Timberlake, who came up onstage next for an award, commented on how cute Rihanna's mom was (she was really cute!) and did a Jamaican accent as well as congratulated Rihanna himself. So really, it's good for everyone to put aside controversy for a few minutes and just be adorable for a few minutes.

It's pretty notable that Rihanna's winning an Icon award at the young age of 25, but we can't say we're not happy for her after the bit of reprieve her shining moment provided to an otherwise boring ceremony.