Jeremy Allen White took the stage at the 2025 Gotham Independent Film Awards to honor the project that has defined his year, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.
Actor and director Scott Cooper received the Cultural Icon Tribute Award at the Dec. 1 ceremony in New York City for their work on the Bruce Springsteen biopic.
White, 34, made the moment personal when he thanked Springsteen for opening the door to tell a story that had never been told before.
“We are very grateful that Bruce allowed us in [his] space. And to tell a story he had never told himself and had never mythologized,” he said.
After tripping over the word “mythologized,” he apologized and joked, “Sorry guys, I’m very tired,” which instantly had the room laughing.
As he continued, White reflected on what it meant to portray an icon by focusing on the person behind the legend.
“He let us meet him at his most human, vulnerable, searching, and that kind of trust is rare. It’s a gift, and it’s the reason this movie even exists,” he said.
He shared how significant the recognition felt, adding that receiving the award “for portraying a cultural icon by refusing to treat him like one is something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
The Gotham Film & Media Institute had previously announced that White and Cooper would be among the 2025 recipients.
In a statement, CEO Jeffrey Sharp praised Springsteen’s decades-long impact on audiences and explained why the film made such an impact.
He said the film captures “the intimacy and humanity at the heart of Nebraska,” while also highlighting White’s performance as “a raw, searching portrait of Springsteen at a crossroads.”
Sharp added that the collaboration between White and Cooper reflects the type of filmmaking that the Gotham community hopes to elevate, personal, bold and rooted in true storytelling.
