Elton John is now officially an EGOT winner—the 19th person in history to ever become one—after his Disney+ show Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium won Outstanding Variety Special at the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards tonight. The three-hour-long concert film was shot on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. While John wasn’t there to accept the award himself due to a knee injury, the musician was honored by his publicist onstage.
“I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight,” John said in an emailed 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.”
Rounding out John’s award wins were a 1987 Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal with “That’s What Friends Are For” (in addition to five others over the years), a 1994 Oscar for Best Original Song with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (and another in 2019), and a 2000 Tony for Best Original Score with Aida. John is the third pop start to ever gain EGOT status, following John Legend and Jennifer Hudson.
The most recent star to achieve EGOT before John was Viola Davis in 2023, whose Best Audiobook Win for her reading of the memoir Finding Me at the 2023 Grammy Awards pushed her into the elite bracket.
