nme.com
62%
427
Paul McCartney honours Bruce Springsteen at 2024 Ivor Novello Awards: “He’s never worked a day in his life”
Paul McCartney honoured Bruce Springsteen by presenting him with the Ivor Novello Awards’ biggest prize yesterday (May 23).The Boss became the first international songwriter to receive the Fellow of the Ivors Academy at Grosvenor House in London, following in the footsteps of Elton John, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox and McCartney himself who previously received the same award 20 years ago.Presenting the prize, McCartney who brought Springsteen onstage along with Dave Grohl during his headline slot at Glastonbury in 2022, jokingly said: “Like Bruce’s concerts, I’m going to keep this brief,” referencing the Boss’ three hour plus concerts, before adding that he “couldn’t think of a more fitting” recipient “except maybe Bob Dylan, or Paul Simon, or Billy Joel, or Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift. The list goes on.”He continued: “He’s known as the American working man but he admits he’s never worked a day in his life.”Accepting the award, Springsteen hugged the former Beatle and referenced his “long and wonderful history” in the UK, thanking the “extraordinary” fans who have been with him since his first show in Hammersmith some 50 years ago.He also spoke about his show the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, the night before (May 22).Springsteen said: “We came out last night, and I was like, ‘What is this weather? Driving rain, wind roaring But standing in front of me, in the rain, I realised: These are my people.“Some of them are young, some of them are children, and some of them… wore lines on their faces, of lives hard-weathered and well-lived.
