Sir Elton John was awarded with the inaugural Brit Icon award for having a 'lasting impact' on British Culture. The British legend marked this award by performing at London's Palladium theatre last night which also marked his return to the stage after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix. 

According to the BBC, Rod Stewart was the one who presented the prize to Sir Elton and described him as "the second best rock singer ever". Stewart was among a long list of a-list stars to congratulate Sir Elton at the venue as the likes of Liz Hurley, Lulu and Gary Barlow were in attendance, with Gary tweeting "Just watched Elton John talk and perform for 2hours at the Palladium ! Inspirational ! #britsiconaward". 

Sir Elton, now fully recovered from the surgery, played his greatest hits' set and according to NME Rod Stewart joined him towards the end and performed in a duet which included the hits "Sad Songs (Say So Much)' and songs from John's album 'Breaking Hearts'. 

Before the show Sir Elton spoke with The Independent stating "It's a tremendous honour and a real thrill for me to have my work acknowledged in this way, and I'm really looking forward to participating in what promises to be a very special occasion". 

Sir Elton's career spans over half a century and in that time he has sold over more than 250 million records and recorded the biggest selling single of all time, Candle in the Wind '97. His long list of accolades includes 35 gold and 25 platinum albums in the UK alone. Sir Elton John's contribution to British culture may never be matched and the recognition he receives with the Brit Icon award proves that the 66 year old has achieved the ultimate success in the music industry.

The concert is set to be aired by ITV on September 13TH 2013.

Elton John
Elton John has quite a reputation for his flamboyant dress sense

Elton John and David
Elton John has been happily in a relationsip with his partner David Furnish for the last 20 years