At the 2024 Attitude Awards, Elton John was honored with the Legacy Award, and during his acceptance speech, he took a playful jab at Elon Musk. The event, held on October 9 in London, saw Elton receive the award from Ed Sheeran. Vanessa Williams and Matt Henry, stars of the upcoming The Devil Wears Prada musical (for which Elton provided original music), were also present. Josh Homme also revealed a hilarious Elton John Dig recently as well.
This award makes Elton only the second person to receive the Attitude Legacy Award, following Prince Harry in 2018, who accepted it on behalf of his late mother, Princess Diana, for her work in HIV advocacy during the 1980s.
In his speech, Elton expressed how honored he was, reflecting on his journey, his love for being gay, and how music has been a constant support through his ups and downs. He also highlighted his dedication to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which he founded after witnessing the HIV/AIDS crisis firsthand. Now led by his husband David, the foundation has raised $600 million. Elton spoke about the happiness he finds in his family and the rights he enjoys as a gay man, vowing to continue fighting for equality.
During his lighthearted acceptance, Elton joked about the “A” on his award, suggesting it could stand for “arsehole,” before adding, “but let’s not talk about Elon Musk tonight – let’s have a good time!” This quip was a nod to his decision to leave Twitter in 2022 after Musk’s takeover, due to concerns about misinformation and hate speech.
Other notable winners at the Attitude Awards included 2024 Eurovision winner Nemo, who received Person of the Year, and Eurovision champion Lulu, who was given the Honorary Gay Award.
