On January 15, 2024, Elton John became the nineteenth EGOT winner, joining the exclusive club with members such as Audrey Hepburn and Andrew Lloyd Webber. For those wondering what an “EGOT” is, the acronym refers to the four major awards in entertainment: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. John secured the prestigious win with an Emmy for his concert film “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.”
Richard Rodgers was the first EGOT winner in 1962, capping his acronym off with an Emmy. The famous composer previously won a Grammy, an Oscar and two Tonys for his work on “The Sound of Music” and other musicals. The elite group now has nineteen members with various careers. While most EGOT winners are singers or composers, others are actors, directors, producers and lyricists. Before John’s win, Viola Davis was the most recent EGOT winner, after she won a Grammy for Spoken Word Album.
Elton John is a European singer, pianist and composer best known for his pop-rock influence on music. His most famous songs include “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer”. A pivotal artist during the late 20th century, John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Later, John collaborated with modern artists such as Miley Cyrus and Stevie Wonder. John also wrote an autobiography titled “Me”, published in 2019.
John’s previous awards include five Grammys; two Oscars for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” and a Tony for “Aida’s” original score. His Emmy-winning concert film was a recording of the final performance of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which began in 2018 and was postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic. The 3-hour film won an Emmy for Best Variety Special (live). His show had an attendance of around 50,000 and included special guests such as Dua Lipa and Brandi Carlile.
John was unable to attend the Emmys due to a recent surgery. David Furnish, John’s husband, accepted the award with producer Ben Winston. Furnish said, “He’s had his left knee replaced — which isn’t surprising when you think of the number of pianos he’s jumped off.” In a statement, John said he was “incredibly humbled” to be joining the talented group of EGOT winners.
