Miley Cyrus insists that her emotional response at the 2009 Kids’ Choice Awards was genuine.

The 16-year-old was so shocked and overjoyed tearful when she picked up the Favorite Female Singer at last Saturday’s ceremony that she burst into tears.

“I was a little embarrassed,” Miley told MTV News on Wednesday. “But then again, I shouldn’t be. It meant something to me because it’s from the kids…..Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to win it. It just made my day that I did. It means a lot to me.”

She adds, “The kids are more important than anything else in the world. So it made me happy.”