Trent Reznor thanked Nine Inch Nails bandmates both past and present in his Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony acceptance speech.
Over the weekend, Trent Reznor accepted the honour of Nine Inch Nails being inducted into the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on behalf of his bandmates throughout the years, as well as "other key players involved" with the group.
The frontman began his acceptance speech by thanking Iggy Pop, who inducted the band, before explaining that the part of the ceremony he was originally most looking forward to was seeing the "whole camp" of Nine Inch Nails and getting together to "have a moment". "And we’re all stuck in our little boxes staring at our screens," he added of the event, which was simply aired as an "exclusive special" on HBO due to COVID-19. Also inducted on the night were Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G. and T-Rex.
"Even now, music’s always been the thing that keeps me going, and, as an artist, I think the most significant accomplishment or feeling is realising something you’ve created from a fragile and intimate place has reached out and resonated and affected someone else, possibly changing how they see the world," Trent continued in his speech (via Pitchfork). "So as to whatever being in a hall of fame means, thank you for the recognition."
Read this: The 20 greatest Nine Inch Nails songs – ranked
Then, Trent's thank yous properly began, with the vocalist praising Atticus Ross, Robin Finck, Allesandro Cortini, Ilan Rubin, Danny Lohner and Chris Vrenna.
"I love these guys and they’ve all been an integral and central part of why we’re here," he said, before adding, "Additionally, there’s been a number of other key players involved over the years I’d like to recognise and thank, including Charlie Clouser, James Woolley, Rich Patrick, Josh Freese, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Jerome Dillon, Aaron North, Jeff Ward, and Jeordie White.
"Throughout the years I’ve benefited from a strong collection of people around me that’ve offered everything from encouragement to guidance to a kick in the ass when needed. These include Jimmy Iovine, John Silva, Marc Geiger, Ross Rosen, Alan Moulder, Rick Rubin, Zia Modabber, Bill Harper, David Fincher, Jerome Crooks, Steve Barnett, Jim Guerinot and John Malm. You’re all appreciated and this is for you, too."
Trent then gave a "special" thank you to his wife Mariqueen and their children: "You keep me humble and everything worthwhile."
Finally, he addressed the listeners. "And for the Nine Inch Nails fans out there – you guys are the best," he enthused. "We’ve wound up in some weird places together, and you’re an intense bunch that can drive me out of my mind, but you’re the best. This journey’s far from over if I have any say in it, so let’s stop fuckin’ around pattin’ ourselves on the back and get to it. Hope to see you all in the flesh soon. Thank you."
Watch Trent's full acceptance speech below:
