Elton John gave love to his family in his Oscars acceptance speech.
The gay icon thanked his husband, David Furnish, and his sons Zachary and Elijah, after winning Best Original Song for Rocketman's "I'm Gonna (Love Me Again)," which he shared with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin.
"David, I love you so much," John told Furnish, who is also a producer of the biopic of the singer's life starring Taron Egerton. To his sons watching from Australia, John said, "How much do I love you? Daddy loves you."
In addition to his family and the Rocketman team, John also acknowledged Taupin, with whom he shared the songwriting credit and the stage. "When I was screwed up, when I was normal, he's always been there for me," he said.
Likewise, Taupin returned the love to John "This is justification for 53 years of just hammering it out and doing what we do," he told the crowd at the Dolby Theatre.
Rocketman, directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall, depicts John in his youth and adulthood as he grapples with addiction and his sexuality. Earlier in the evening, John performed the now-winning song in a dazzling performance that included a line of backup singers, a band, and animated scenes from the film.
Watch the speech below.
