EGOT
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding music and lyrics for a song they co-wrote for Only Murders in the Building on Sunday (Sept. 8), the second night of the Creative Arts Emmys. They are the 20th and 21st individuals to EGOT – to win at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition.
Pasek and Paul have set a new record for the fastest climb to an EGOT – a little less than seven years and seven months from the date of their first EGOT win. The old record was held by Robert Lopez, who took nine years and eight months from the time he collected his first EGOT award in June 2004 to the time he completed the journey in March 2014.
Trending on Billboard
Pasek and Paul are the second pair to achieve the EGOT as a team. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice won each of the four awards as a team – a Tony for best original score for Evita, a Grammy for best cast show album for Evita, an Oscar for best original song for “You Must Love Me” from Evita and an Emmy for outstanding variety special (live) for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
In addition, Pasek, who is 39 years and three months old, is the second-youngest EGOT winner ever, trailing only Lopez, who was 39 and one week old when he achieved the feat in March 2014.
Pasek is the fourth individual who is publicly LGBTQ to achieve the EGOT, following actor Sir John Gielgud (1991), producer Scott Rudin (2012) and Sir Elton John (2024).
Pasek and Paul won their Primetime Emmy for co-writing the song “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” for Only Murders in the Building with another songwriting team, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. While this was the first Emmy win for Pasek and Paul, and also for Wittman, Shaiman had won before. He won outstanding individual achievement in writing in a variety or music program for cowriting the 1992 Oscars, hosted by his longtime friend Billy Crystal.
Series star Steve Martin, who is nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, performed the tongue-twisting song.
Pasek and Paul won their first EGOT-qualifying award, an Oscar for best original song, in February 2017 for co-writing “City of Stars” from La La Land with composer Justin Hurwitz. They won a Tony for best original score that June for Dear Evan Hansen and won a second Tony in June 2022 for being among the platoon of producers of A Strange Loop, which was voted best musical. They won their first Grammy, best musical theater album, in January 2018 for Dear Evan Hansen and their second, best compilation soundtrack for visual media, in February 2019 for The Greatest Showman.
Sir Elton John was the most recent person to complete the EGOT before Pasek & Paul. He did so when he won a Primetime Emmy for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium at the ceremony in January (which was delayed for four months by union strikes). This is the fourth time that two or more people have become EGOTs in the same calendar year. Helen Hayes and Rita Moreno both became EGOTs in 1977. Mel Brooks and Mike Nichols both scored in 2001. Webber, Rice and Legend all completed their EGOT journeys in 2018.
In other music news from night 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys, Carlos Rafael Rivera won outstanding music composition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special (original dramatic score) for Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+). It’s his third Emmy. He won in the same category three years ago for The Queen’s Gambit and for outstanding main title theme music in 2018 for Godless.
Siddhartha Khosla won outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for Only Murders in the Building. It’s his first Emmy on his seventh nod.
Jeff Toyne won outstanding original main title theme music for Palm Royale (Apple TV+). It’s his first Emmy. He had a second nod this year, outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score).
Trygge Toven won outstanding music supervision for Fallout. It’s his first Emmy nod and win.
Jamie Lee Curtis won outstanding guest actress in a comedy for The Bear. It’s her first Primetime Emmy win. Her father, Tony Curtis, was nominated in 1980 for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a special for his role in NBC’s Moviola.
Shōgun was the top winner across the two nights of the Creative Arts Emmys, with 14 awards. The Bear placed second, with seven awards, followed by Saturday Night Live (six), Jim Henson Idea Man (five), Blue Eye Samurai and The Oscars (four each).
Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden, Only Murders In The Building, Ripley and Welcome To Wrexham each won three awards. Baby Reindeer, The Crown, Girls State, How I Met Your Father, Love on the Spectrum, The Morning Show and Mr. & Mrs. Smith each won two.
Here’s a report on Night 1 of the Creative Arts Emmys.
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding music and lyrics for a song they co-wrote for Only Murders in the Building. If they win on Sept. 8, the second night of the Creative Arts Emmys, they will become the 20th and 21st individuals to EGOT – to win at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition.
Moreover, Pasek and Paul would be the second pair to achieve the EGOT as a team. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice won each of the four awards as a team – a Tony for best original score for Evita, a Grammy for best cast show album for Evita, an Oscar for best original song for “You Must Love Me” from Evita and an Emmy for outstanding variety special (live) for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
Trending on Billboard
In addition, Pasek, who will be 39 years and three months old on Emmy night, would become the second-youngest EGOT winner ever, trailing only Robert Lopez, who 39 and one week old when he achieved the feat in March 2014. Paul, who will be 39 years, eight months and five days old that night, would become the third-youngest EGOT ever. John Legend, who was 39 years, eight months and 12 days old when he achieved the feat in September 2018, would fall from his current runner-up status to fourth place.
Pasek would be the fourth individual who is publicly LGBTQ to achieve the EGOT, following actor Sir John Gielgud (1991), producer Scott Rudin (2012) and Sir Elton John (2024).
Pasek and Paul won their first EGOT-qualifying award, an Oscar for best original song, in February 2017 for co-writing “City of Stars” from La La Land with composer Justin Hurwitz. They won a Tony for best original score that June for Dear Evan Hansen and won a second Tony in June 2022 for being among the platoon of producers of A Strange Loop, which was voted best musical. They won their first Grammy, best musical theater album, in January 2018 for Dear Evan Hansen and their second, best compilation soundtrack for visual media, in February 2019 for The Greatest Showman.
They are nominated for a Primetime Emmy for co-writing the song “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” for Only Murders in the Building with another songwriting team, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Series star Steve Martin, who is nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, performed the tongue-twisting song.
[embedded content]
But Pasek and Paul haven’t won the award yet. The competition is strong. Eli Brueggemann, who won in this category six years ago for co-writing “Come Back Barack” for Saturday Night Live, is nominated again this year for another SNL song, “Maya Rudolph Mother’s Day Monologue,” which he co-wrote with Rudolph, Mike DiCenzo, Jake Nordwind and Auguste White.
Other nominees in the category are Sara Bareilles for writing “The Medium Time” from Girls5eva; John Hawkes, for writing “No Use” from True Detective: Night Country; and Walter Afanasieff, Kara Talve, Hans Zimmer and Charlie Midnight for cowriting “Love Will Survive” from The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Barbra Streisand recorded the latter song. She also recorded “Ordinary Miracles” from Barbra Streisand: The Concert, a Marvin Hamlisch/Alan & Marilyn Bergman song which won in the category 29 years ago.
This is the second Primetime Emmy nod for Pasek and Paul. They were nominated in the same category six years ago for writing a song from A Christmas Story Live!
Sir Elton John was the most recent person to complete the EGOT. He did so when he won a Primetime Emmy for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium at the ceremony in January (which was delayed for four months by union strikes).
If Pasek and Paul achieve the feat, this would be the fourth time that two or more people became EGOTs in the same calendar year. Helen Hayes and Rita Moreno both became EGOTs in 1977. Mel Brooks and Mike Nichols both scored in 2001. Webber, Rice and Legend all completed their EGOT journeys in 2018.
Here’s a look at this year’s Primetime Emmy nominations in all seven music categories.
01/17/2024
It has become the ultimate mic-drop move in show business.
01/17/2024
Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium won the Primetime Emmy for outstanding variety special (live) on Monday (Jan. 15), making Sir Elton John an EGOT. He’s the 19th performer to complete the sweep of the top entertainment awards, and the second-oldest at the time of completion.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Elton is 76 years and nine months old. Sir John Gielgud (also English and gay, like Elton) was 87 years and four months when he completed the sweep in 1991. Helen Hayes was a bit younger than Elton (76 years and four months) when she became an EGOT in 1977.
Elton is the first EGOT who has topped the Billboard 200 as a credited artist. He landed seven consecutive No. 1 albums between 1972-75. (Several previous EGOTS were creative participants in No. 1 albums, but they weren’t the credited artists.)
Elton is the second EGOT who has landed a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. He follows John Legend, who topped Billboard’s flagship songs chart in May 2014 with “All of Me” and became an EGOT in 2018. Elton has amassed nine No. 1 hits on the survey.
Elton landed his first EGOT-level award in February 1987 when he won his first Grammy for his part in Dionne & Friends’ “That’s What Friends Are For,” which won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. He has since won four more Grammys.
He won his first Oscar in March 1995 when “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King (which he co-wrote with Tim Rice) won best original song. He won again in that category in February 2020 with “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman, which he co-wrote with his longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin.
He won his only Tony to date (best original score) in June 2000 for Aida. He and Rice co-wrote the score.
Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium (Disney+) prevailed in a highly competitive category which also included The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna (Fox), Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (Netflix), The Oscars (ABC) and the 75th Annual Tony Awards (CBS).
Elton won his Emmy as both an executive producer and performer on the special, which took him back to the site of his 1975 concert triumph. Other exec producers on the special were Elton’s husband and frequent collaborator David Furnish, Luke Lloyd Davies, Ben Winston, Gabe Turner, Sally Wood, Emma Conway, Lou Fox, Sean Alvarez and R. J. Cutler. John Foy and Paul Dugdale were co-executive producers. Saj Patel and Penny LeVesconte were line producers. All won Primetime Emmys.
The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are finally being presented, four months after they were originally scheduled. They were delayed by strikes by Hollywood writers and actors. Hosted by former blackish star Anthony Anderson, the awards are being held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.
Jesse Collins Entertainment is producing the show, which is being broadcast live from 8-11 p.m. ET (5-8 p.m. PT) on Fox. The eligibility period for this year’s Primetime Emmys was June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023.
H.E.R. has joined the producing team of Here Lies Love ahead of the long-gestating musical’s Broadway debut this summer.
Here Lies Love tells the story of Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. David Byrne came up with the concept and lyrics for the show, and teamed with Fatboy Slim on the music.
H.E.R. – who was born to a Filipino-American mother and an African-American father – said in a statement, “Filipinos are a global people. We come in all colors and build bridges across cultures. I am beyond excited to produce my first Broadway musical and forge a unique and meaningful partnership with Here Lies Love.”
On learning that H.E.R. had joined the producing team, Byrne said in a statement, “Thrilled to have H.E.R. as part of the team. See you dancing at the revolution!”
Another of the show’s producers, Lea Salonga, said in a statement, “On behalf of our binational producing team, we welcome Gabi [H.E.R., who was born Gabriella Wilson] to the Here Lies Love team with open arms! I am a huge fan of her genre-defying and multifaceted artistry, and it’s empowering to welcome another Filipino artist to our ranks. Together, we are throwing the biggest party Broadway has ever seen – and everyone is invited!”
Salonga, who was born in Manila, won a Tony in 1991 for best actress in a musical for Miss Saigon. She is set to join the cast of Here Lies Love in a five-week guest engagement from July 11-Aug. 13.
The musical begins preview performances Saturday, June 17, ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.
Here Lies Love has had a long road to Broadway. The property originated 13 years ago as a studio album by Byrne and Fatboy Slim. The double-length album debuted and peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard 200 in April 2010. The theatrical show made its world premiere at The Public Theater in New York in 2013, returned to The Public in 2014-15, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.
At the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, if Here Lies Love were to win best musical at the 77th annual Tony Awards in June 2024, H.E.R. would become an EGOT. Not only that, but she would become, at 26, the youngest EGOT by more than a decade. The youngest EGOT to date is composer Robert Lopez, who secured EGOT status at age 39 in 2014.
H.E.R. would not be the first person to EGOT by winning a Tony as part of a platoon of producers. Jennifer Hudson secured EGOT status by winning a Tony as one of dozens of producers of A Strange Loop, which won best musical in June 2022.
H.E.R. (who is now 25) has won five Grammys, including song of the year for “I Can’t Breathe,” an Oscar for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah and a Children’s and Family Emmy Award last year for We the People, which won as outstanding short form program.
David Byrne’s American Utopia won a Special Tony Award in 2020. (That show also began life as a studio album.) Byrne previously won both an Oscar and a Grammy for scoring The Last Emperor with Cong Su and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Fatboy Slim won the 2001 Grammy for best short form music video for “Weapon of Choice,” featuring Bootsy Collins.
Here Lies Love will play at The Broadway Theatre, one of the few Broadway theaters that is physically on Broadway. The floor space will be transformed into a dance club environment, where some audience members will stand and move with the actors, and others will watch from seats located around the theatre.
As previously announced, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora will recreate their original roles as Ferdinand Marcos (Imelda’s husband and the 10th president of the Philippines) and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (a Philippine senator, opposition leader and the Marcoses’ primary critic), respectively. Additional casting will be announced soon.
The show was developed and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo.
The creative team for Here Lies Love also includes three-time Tony Award nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical.
Additional creative team members include J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s cultural and community liaison.
Here Lies Love is produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna and Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as executive producer.
They are joined by Salonga, H.E.R., Bobby Garcia, Giselle “G” Töngi, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney, Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh, Rob Laqui, Georgina Pazcoguin, Don Michael H. Mendoza, Adam Hyndman, Yasuhiro Kawana, Triptyk Studios, Shira Friedman, James L. Nederlander, Kevin Connor, Patrick Trettenero, Elizabeth Armstrong, Cathy Dantchik, Wendy Federman/Suzanne Niedland, Luke Katler/Ryan Solomon, Laura Ivey/Janet Brenner, and Hunter Arnold/TBD Theatricals.
Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239-6200. The Broadway Theatre box office will open on Saturday, May 20.
-
Pages