Instead, she nudged along a man who was sitting next to her, "Jesse," who, beside an incredibly nervous Fallon, accepted the award "on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States, who are starving, lost, and scared for their lives right now." He went on, "I know this because I am one of these people."

With Cyrus watching along in tears from the audience, Jesse, who represents My Friend's Place, told the audience and millions watching to check out Cyrus' Facebook page, which had this message:

"Help me raise awareness and funds to end youth homelessness! This is just the beginning for me, but we're going to get started now by focusing on My Friend's Place, a homeless center for young people in Hollywood.

"You can support the cause by making a donation here: www.prizeo.com/miley! For every $5 donation, you'll be entered to win a trip for 2 to Brazil to hang out with me at my show in Rio de Janeiro on Sept 28th. You'll get the full VIP experience, including 2 of the best seats in the house. #MyFriendsPlace #VMAs2014"