Justin Timberlake has spoken out about being bullied at school as he collected a music award.

The former ‘N Sync singer won iHeartRadio’s Innovator Award for his solo work and when he stepped on stage to collect his gong, revealed that his musical talents hadn’t always been recognised.

Justin told the audience that he was called “weird” as a teenager, and offered encouraging words to teens experiencing teasing and bullying.

Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake with his Innovator Award (John Salangsang/Invision)

He said: “Growing up in school, no one ever called me anything close to an innovator, they called me different, they called me weird, they called me a couple of other words I can’t say on TV.

“So thankfully my mother taught me that being different was a good thing, that being different meant you could actually make a difference, so tonight I want to thank my mom.”

Mirrors singer Justin, who recently had his first child with wife Jessica Biel, also thanked her, although she wasn’t at the ceremony.

He said: “Finally, I want to thank my best friend, my favourite collaborator, my wife Jessica.”