Elton John takes a jab at "***hole" Elon Musk at awards ceremony
London, UK - Elton John used an appearance at an awards ceremony to mock Elon Musk and speak out for LGBTQ+ rights.
The British superstar on Wednesday received the Legacy honor at the Attitude Awards, which "celebrate the brightest and best from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies."
John followed in the footsteps of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who collected the award in 2017 on behalf of his mother, Diana, the princess of Wales.
After being presented the trophy by Ed Sheeran, John joked: "Is this it? Is this the award? What does A stand for?"
"***hole comes to mind. But let's not talk about Elon Musk tonight – let's have a good time," he said in a transcript from the Attitude Awards.
Among the other winners was reigning Eurovision Song Contest winner Nemo, who scooped the Person of the Year award, while former Eurovision champion Lulu, who represented the UK in 1969, received the Honorary Gay award.
Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning also picked up the Culture award, while Esther Ghey accepted the posthumous Inspiration award on behalf of her late daughter Brianna Ghey – a trans teenager who was stabbed to death in England last year.
Elton John promises to continue fight for LGBTQ+ rights
During his speech, John told the audience he is "so happy to be a gay man," having married David Furnish in 2014 and shares sons Zachary and Elijah.
"I love my husband, my children – I have benefits as a gay man I never thought I’d be able to have," he said.
"Thank you, David, I love you so, so, so very much. We’ve come a long way. And we’re very lucky to live in a country that gives us the rights we have."
"But there are still people who don’t have those rights, and I intend to fight for those rights until the day I die."
Last month, John revealed that he has been left with "only limited vision" after suffering a "severe eye infection."
His next projects include the opening of the musical The Devil Wears Prada for which he wrote the music, and the debut of his new documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, which premieres on Disney+ on December 13.
Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS & Jamie McCarthy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP