Pink's empowering message for her 6-year-old daughter

Pink recalled an empowering story involving her six-year-old daughter Willow as she collected the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The 37-year-old star - who was handed the prestigious gong by her close pal Ellen DeGeneres - used her acceptance speech at The Forum in Los Angeles to deliver an uplifting story featuring her young daughter, who she has with her husband Carey Hart.

The Just Give Me a Reason hitmaker began: "Recently, I was driving my daughter to school and she said to me, out of the blue, 'Mama, I'm the ugliest girl I know.'

"She was like, 'Yeah, I look like a boy with long hair.' And my brain went to, 'Oh my God, you're six. Where is this coming from? Who said this? Can I kick a six-year-old's ass?'"

Photo / Getty

Subsequently, the chart-topping star - who also performed a medley of her biggest hits at the awards show - went home and made a PowerPoint presentation of "androgynous rock stars and artists that live their truth", saying they are "probably made fun of every day of their life, and carry on and wave their flag and inspire the rest of us".

She quipped: "Her eyes glazed over. But then I said, 'I really want to know why you feel this way about yourself.'"

Willow replied: "I look like a boy."

Pink then asked: "What do you think I look like?"

And Willow responded: "You're beautiful."

Photo / Getty

The singer continued: "I said, 'Well, thanks, but when people make fun of me, that's what they use.'

"I look like a boy ... I have too many opinions ... My body is too strong."

Underlining her point, the award-winning star added: ""Do you see me growing my hair? ... Do you see me changing my body? ... Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?

"So, baby girl. We don't change. We take gravel in a shell and we make a pearl, and we help other people to change. ... You, my darling girl, are beautiful and I love you."

- Bang! Showbiz