Canadian Artists Salute Elton John at Glenn Gould Prize Gala in Toronto

Elton John may be British through and through, but that did not stop a stack of Canadian music names from turning out in Toronto on Saturday night to celebrate him. John was on hand to receive the Glenn Gould Prize, the international arts award handed out every two years, with past winners including Leonard Cohen, Philip Glass and Oscar Peterson. Honorees do not always attend in person. This time, John did.

The ceremony took place at the Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, where John also made a point of claiming a kind of cultural kinship with the country being saluted around him. As the Toronto Star reports, he told the audience,

“I am a Canadian. Canada is part of my life and embedded in my soul.”

His husband, David Furnish, is Canadian. John accepted the gold sculpture and the $100,000 prize that comes with it, and he also got to choose the recipient of the Glenn Gould Protégé Prize, which carries $25,000. He selected Toronto mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, who performed “I Know The Truth” from his Aida musical at the ceremony.

D’Angelo was just one part of a larger tribute built out of Canadian artists covering some of John’s best-known songs. The Beaches took on “The Bitch Is Back,” while Sarah McLachlan sang “Tiny Dancer.” Diana Krall covered “Our Song,” Loony offered up “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters,” and Ron Sexsmith performed “Blues For My Baby And Me.”

Saya Gray also reportedly performed “Honky Cat,” though there does not appear to be video of that set online. The night ended with Elton John joining all of the performers for “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” which sounds like exactly the kind of finale that can turn a formal awards gala into something a little more electric.

Before the show, Polaris and Juno winner Jeremy Dutcher and other artists were interviewed ahead of the event.