Paul McCartney humorously teased his friend Bruce Springsteen at a recent awards ceremony in London. Springsteen made history as the first non-British recipient of an Ivor Novello Award, recognizing his exceptional singing and songwriting contributions.

While presenting the award, McCartney made his delightful remark, “I couldn’t think of a more fitting” winner, jokingly suggesting other iconic names like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. McCartney playfully highlighted Springsteen’s image as the quintessential American working man and joked, “but he admits he’s never worked a day in his life.” Reflecting on Springsteen’s talent, McCartney mused, “When it comes to talent, he’d definitely be in the top five.”

Accepting his Ivor, Springsteen humorously recounted his recent performance in the north of England amidst adverse weather conditions. “We came out… and I was like, ‘What is this weather? Driving rain, wind roaring,’” Springsteen recalled. But even with the challenging weather, he felt a profound connection with his audience. “But standing in front of me, in the rain, I realized: These are my people,” he said.

Springsteen Remembers First Peculiar U.K. Visit

Springsteen also reminisced about his first visit to the U.K. in 1975, remembering his amusing encounter with British cuisine. “The airplane food was not so great…and my first thought when we landed at Heathrow was, ‘Where’s all the cheeseburgers?’” he joked. Upon arriving at the Hammersmith Odeon, Springsteen was greeted by a sign proclaiming, “London is finally ready for Bruce Springsteen,” prompting him to humorously ponder if London was ready for his American tastes.

The Ivor Novello Awards are decided by members of the Ivors Academy, with Springsteen receiving the prestigious Academy Fellowship Award. In addition, Bernie Taupin was also honored for his Outstanding Contribution to British Music.