Miley Cyrus named 2013 MTV Artist of the Year

Miley Cyrus has been named the 2013 MTV Artist of the Year.

The Wrecking Ball hitmaker's headline-grabbing duet with Robin Thicke during the MTV Video Music Awards in August (13) not only caused a stir with viewers, but seemingly made an impact with network bosses as well.

Just months after her raunchy performance, executives at MTV have decided to name the 21 year old the Artist of the Year, explaining, "Whether it was the tongue, the twerk-tastic VMA performance or the Terry (Richardson) photo shoot, there's no denying there was a method to Miley's madness, the kind that could only be orchestrated by a 21-year-old who's been in the business for nearly a decade.

"She schooled - and shocked - us all in 2013, and did so on her own terms. All hail the new Queen of Pop."

In addition to her raunchy VMA performance, Cyrus' first album in three years, Bangerz, earned the number one spot in nine different countries including the U.S. and the U.K.

She also had notable appearances on sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live and MTV's European Music Awards, where she openly smoked a joint on stage.

Cyrus takes the Artist of the Year crown from U.K. boy band One Direction, who fell from first to fifth on this year's (13) list.