EGOT: Elton John Finally Joins the Exclusive Club
Music icon Elton John officially joined the most exclusive club of all when he became an EGOT holder. Elton’s win in the most recent Emmy Awards completed the circle for him: he has now been recognized by the entertainment industry’s four primary awarding bodies.
The 76-year-old musician won Outstanding Variety Special for his well-received and very successful Farewell From Dodger Stadium. Unfortunately, Elton couldn’t personally accept the award as he is recovering from knee surgery.
The much-coveted EGOT status stands for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards covering television, music, film, and theater, respectively. Elton is the 19th person to receive the EGOT status in competitive categories. Six of the nineteen awardees secured EGOT status after honorary awards.
Ben Winston, the special’s executive producer, received Elton’s award and delivered the acceptance speech in his absence. He said, “We did know this was going to be historic because it was going to be Elton’s last-ever show in North America. We didn’t know it was going to be historic because it was going to win a man who has created the soundtrack to all of our lives, who has done so much great for society, who is one of our heroes—we didn’t know that it was going to win him an EGOT.”
The British singer was also represented by David Furnish, his filmmaker husband. Elton and David were married in 2014 and have been in a domestic partnership since 2005. David was the proud husband during the Emmy ceremony, beaming and in high spirits as he held two Emmy trophies back in the winners’ lounge.
According to David, Elton screamed out loud when he was called and informed that he had become an EGOT winner. He jokingly said, “He’s had his left knee replaced—which isn’t surprising when you think of the number of pianos he’s jumped off.”
Elton’s Dodger Stadium performance concluded the North American leg of his farewell tour. According to Billboard, his shows have grossed almost a billion dollars.
After his win, Elton acknowledged his 4.8 million followers and shared on his Instagram account that he was “on cloud nine” after his Emmy victory. He wrote, “Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful.”
Elton also said he was “gutted” because he could not attend the award ceremony in person. He jokingly added that his recent knee operation was a gentle reminder of his time jumping off pianos. To prove his point, he included a snap from an old performance.
In his lengthy post, he acknowledged the band and crew of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour: “Your commitment and talent have always been the driving force that keeps our incredible fans entertained night after night.” He also thanked his guests during the Dodger Stadium special: Brandi Carlile, Dua Lipa, and Kiki Dee, as well Bernie Taupin, his longtime lyricist.
He closed by thanking his millions of supporters and acknowledging the other EGOT winners: “Thank you to all the fans, friends, and collaborators who have supported me throughout the years. Honoured to have joined the hallowed ranks of EGOT winners, here’s to the joy of music and the magic it brings to our lives!”
