Miley Cyrus shocks at MTV VMAs with charitable acceptance speech

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Miley Cyrus can't stop and won't stop stealing the show at the MTV Video Music Awards.

A year after the 21-year-old singer made headlines over her "raunchy" performance alongside Robin Thicke, Cyrus returned to the award show with a different performance -- a charitable one.

Cyrus was the recipient of the Video of The Year award for the Terry Richardson-directed "Wrecking Ball" video during Sunday's event, but she didn't even move from her seat to grab it. Instead, she had "her friend" Jesse, a homeless young man representing Hollywood homeless center My Friend's Place, accept the moonman for her in the name of homeless youth.

"I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving and lost and scared for their lives," Jesse read from cue cards as Cyrus teared up from her seat. "I know, because I am one of those people."

"I have survived in shelters all over this city. I've cleaned your hotel rooms, I've been an extra in your movies. I've been an extra in your life. Though I may have been invisible to you on the streets I have a lot of the same dreams that brought many of you here tonight. The music industry will make over $7 billion this year, and outside these doors are 54,000 human beings who have no place to call home."

Cyrus' proxy went on to encourage those who "want to make a powerful change in the world right now" to go to Miley's Facebook page to learn more about the singer's new campaign. There, her team shared details about Cyrus' plan to "raise awareness and funds to end youth homelessness."

A video on the singer's Facebook page explained her plan to begin by focusing on My Friend's Place. The "Adore You" singer offered fans who donate the chance to win tickets to her concert in Rio de Janeiro on Sept 28th where they'll get VIP and backstage passes.

After the show, Cyrus took to Instagram to share a celebratory selfie with Jessie from fast food joint In-N-Out Burger.

"Me and my hero at in n out celebration," the signer captioned the pic. "#myfriendsplace #mtvvmas2014."