Billy Bragg and Taylor Swift strike up friendship after presenting Godlike Genius at NME Awards 2020

Billy Bragg and Taylor Swift have struck up an unlikely friendship after the pair presented the Godlike Genius gong to Glastonbury boss Emily Eavis at the NME Awards 2020.

The pair joined forces on Wednesday to present the final award of the night. Bragg has curated Glastonbury’s Leftfield area since 2002, while Swift will headline the final night of the festival in June this year.

Hailing his co-presenter, Bragg wrote on Twitter: “I don’t know who was more surprised to learn that we were co-presenting an award at the NME Awards last night, me or @taylorswift13. I have a lot of respect for her and the stand she has taken on equality and artist’s rights. Needless to say we got on like a house on fire.”

It was excellent meeting you and this is so nice of you to say. ? See you at Glasto, new friend!

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) February 13, 2020

Responding in turn, Swift hailed the folk icon as a “new friend”.

“It was excellent meeting you and this is so nice of you to say, See you at Glasto, new friend!,” she wrote.

Bragg then warned Swift to bring her wellies – a reference to Glastonbury’s notorious mud.

Looking forward to it. See you there. And whatever you do, don't forget to bring your wellies ?

— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) February 14, 2020

The exchange immediately generated excitement among fans, with some calling for the pair to collaborate on a track together.

I love it when stuff like this happens. Anyway, Billy Bragg and Taylor Swift are now fated to do a collaboration. Those are the rules. https://t.co/y1MTASsnZf

— Malcolm Combe (@MalcolmCombe) February 14, 2020

In a lengthier post on Instagram, Bragg described their unlikely pairing as “chalk and cheese”, and explained how their co-presenting was arranged at the very last minute.
“I don’t know if she was as surprised as I was, but we had time for a brief chat about pop and politics and when I asked for a photo, she took my phone and shot a couple of pics before someone turned on the lights- like the blue one I posted last night – and then a couple more,” wrote Bragg.

View this post on Instagram

So yeah, so there I was at the @NMEmagazine awards last night, invited to present the God-like Genius Award to @Emily_Eavis when at the very last minute – literally as I walked into the backstage area – I discovered that I would be co-presenting with @TaylorSwift. I don't know if she was as surprised as I was, but we had time for a brief chat about pop and politics and when I asked for a photo, she took my phone and shot a couple of pics before someone turned on the lights- like the blue one I posted last night – and then a couple more. You might think we were chalk and cheese but I admire her willingness to take a stand on issues and her struggle to own her back catalogue resonates with me, as I underwent a similar struggle in the 1980s. It was a somewhat surreal pairing – I think that's why the @NMEmagazine put us together – but we got on like a house on fire. More power to her, I say. #nme #nmeawards #taylorswift #billybragg

A post shared by Billy Bragg (@billybraggofficial) on Feb 13, 2020 at 1:42pm PST

“You might think we were chalk and cheese but I admire her willingness to take a stand on issues and her struggle to own her back catalogue resonates with me, as I underwent a similar struggle in the 1980s.

“It was a somewhat surreal pairing – I think that’s why the @NMEmagazine put us together – but we got on like a house on fire. More power to her, I say.”

Before presenting the award, Bragg also told NME of the importance of securing gender balances on festival bills across the globe. 
Check back here for all the latest news on the NME Awards 2020.