Teen star Miley Cyrus performed this weekend in Orlando, at the Disney Channel Games concert, and her adoring fans could not have been more supporting, prompting the young singer to thank them for their love and support.

The 15-year-old star of Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” performed several songs at the Saturday concert that will be included in the Disney Channel Games series on the Disney Channel.

This was her first public appearance after a series of photographs taken by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair sparked a debate last week on whether she is acting as an appropriate role model for her tween audience.

Miley did not address the issue of the controversial photographs but she did regale her fans with a lively show and her trademark cheery smiles.

After performing her set, Miley warmly expressed her gratitude for her fans’ loyalty and good wishes.

“I hope you had an awesome time,” she told the crowd, as quoted by People.com. “I saw a sign back there that said, ‘Miley, I'm praying for you.’ I could not be more appreciative. Thank you guys for all your support. Without you, none of this would be possible.

“I love every one of you and I could not be more appreciative. God bless you,” she said.

Saturday’s concert also featured performances by Disney fixtures such as the Jonas Brothers, the Cheetah Girls, Demi Lovato and Jordan Pruitt. The concert will air in July.

Miley has apologized for the photographs, saying she felt “embarrassed” when she saw them and that she views this as a learning experience. She also stressed that her goal in her music and acting is “always to make people happy.”

While the young artist has received plenty of criticism for the photo shoot, numerous other celebrities are standing up for her.

Madonna for example, a seasoned star who has been through countless controversies during her quarter century-career, told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show last week that the scandal over Miley’s photos is futile fuss. “Leave her alone. She’s gonna be 16 soon and then 17 and then 18, and then she might show her knees and then what's gonna happen?”