Nick Jonas Honored at 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards, Shares Inspirational Speech About Being a Hero

Nick Jonas wants everyone to try and be a hero for the people in their own lives.

Jonas was honored with the Hero Award at the Radio Disney Music Awards, which aired on Sunday. The singer, who was joined by a number of young children, took the stage to thank his fans and talk about his fight against Type 1 Diabetes.

WATCH: Nick Jonas Opens Up About Diabetes: I Thought I Was Going to Die

"This is truly incredible," he said, as he was presented with the award from by his Jumanji co-star Jack Black. "These kids who are up here are all Type 1 diabetes like myself.... This is a disease I was diagnosed with when I was 13. It was a moment in my life when I was just getting ready to start making music with my brothers, and touring, and it was something I thought would slow me down before I even got started."

"Thankfully it didn't, and I'm in the healthiest place I've been since my diagnosis," he continued. "But when I found out I would be receiving this award, I started thinking about who some of my heroes are. Not the kind of heroes who wear capes and save cities from evil villains, but real people who are heroes because they've changed the world in some way and made it a better place, or people who directly impacted my life."

MORE: 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards: The Complete Winners List

Jonas gave a shout out to his father, who "is my hero every single day," and he thanked his "amazing family," including his brothers -- Kevin, Joe and Frankie -- and his mom.

"We all have the power to change the world and make it a better place," Jonas shared. "Every day can be an opportunity to be a hero. [If] you're kind to someone who needs it, or you find a cause you're passionate about. You get involved with something and raise your voice in some way. It does make a difference and I would encourage all of you to do that."

Jonas concluded his passionate call to action with a touching message of support, explaining, "What I saw as the biggest challenge of my life really did become the biggest opportunity to bring some encouragement to people like these amazing kids and hopefully people like you who are going to have your own struggles in your life."

WATCH: Nick Jonas Is Crazy Ripped on 'Men's Fitness' Cover, Shares His Strenuous Diet to Keep Diabetes in Check

ET's Brice Sander spoke with Jonas on the red carpet before the show, where the singer opened up about what it meant to be honored as a hero.

"It's really special," Jonas shared. "I've had a lot of heroes in my life, people that have inspired me [and helped me] to get through a tough time in my life… people like my dad, real pillars that have helped me through all of this, and it feels good to be here and receive this award."

WATCH: Britney Spears' Sons Meet Nick Jonas at the Radio Disney Music Awards

Jonas also opened up about his favorite Britney Spears songs. The "Slumber Party" singer was honored at the 2017 RDMA with the show's first-ever Icon Award.

"I'm kind of a sucker for the older Britney ones," Jonas said. "'Toxic' is obviously [great], 'Slave for You,' 'Lucky' is a great song. There's a lot!"

Jonas actually got a chance to hang out with Spears, and her adorable sons Sean Preston, 11, and Jayden James, 10, before the awards show kicked off. Check out the video below to see more.

EXCLUSIVE: Nick Jonas Says He & Brother Joe Are a 'Hot Brother Duo,' Reveals Fav Britney Spears Song

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Up Next