Elton John and Bernie Taupin were honored with the prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in a ceremony that aired Monday night (April 8th) on PBS. Among the acts who performed in their honor were Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Garth Brooks, Brandi Carlisle, and more.
The ceremony actually took place on March 20th at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., and also featured Garth Brooks, Charlie Puth, Maren Morris, Jacob Lusk, and host Billy Porter.
Among the highlights were Metallica performing “Funeral for a Friend” and “Love Lies Bleeding”; Mitchell singing her own unique version of “I’m Still Standing” with Carlisle and Lennox; Porter performing “The Bitch Is Back”; and more.
Elton John himself closed out the night with performances of “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Your Song” joined by Taupin.
“I’ve been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that that one day this might be bestowed upon us,” John said of the Gershwin Prize. “It’s an incredible honor for two British guys to be recognized like this. I’m so honored.”
Taupin added, “To be in a house along with the great American songwriters, to even be in the same avenue is humbling, and I am absolutely thrilled to accept.”
See the full ceremony courtesy of PBS in the player below, and check out a photo gallery of the event here.
