Elton John’s Emmy win earns him EGOT status

Sir Elton John has many accolades and even a royal title thanks to his musical gifts. Now, he has a new title to add to his long list of accomplishments: He has now achieved EGOT status, thanks to his Emmy win at the Jan. 15 awards ceremony.

John won an Emmy for outstanding variety special for “Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium,” which aired on Disney+ back in Nov. 2022. His victory means he became the 19th entertainer in history to earn EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.

Unfortunately, the 76-year-old John did not attend the Emmy awards ceremony because of recent knee replacement surgery. His husband, David Furnish, who also won an Emmy as a producer of the music special, accepted the award on behalf of John.

Although he remained at his home in London to recuperate, John released a statement to the media about his new EGOT status.

“I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight,” John said in the statement. “The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world. Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I am incredibly grateful.”

Shortly after accepting the award for John, Furnish talked to the press about his husband’s reaction during a Facetime call.

“He screamed out loud,” Furnish shared. “He was really happy, incredibly honored and he said, ‘I’m incredibly honored to be in such talented and esteemed company.”

Other EGOT winners include Rita Moreno, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Rogers, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, John Legend, Alan Menken, Jennifer Hudson and Viola Davis, who claimed her EGOT title just last year with a Grammy Award win for her audio book, “Finding Me.”

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How did John reach EGOT status? It’s taken years of dedication and hard work. In 1987, he won the first Grammy Award for “That’s What Friends are For.” (He went on to win four more.) In 1994, he won an Oscar for Best Original Song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” And in 2000, he won a Tony Award for the “Aida” score.

John wrapped his live tour career with “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour back in July 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden.