Renowned artist Elton John clinched an Emmy Award on January 13 for his exceptional involvement in “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” earning the accolade for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the 75th annual ceremony. This special, a Disney+ release on January 27, 2023, beautifully captures John’s final North American performance.
This Emmy triumph solidifies Elton John’s status as the 19th individual to achieve EGOT distinction, having secured an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.
The 75th annual Emmy Awards, initially scheduled for September 2023, faced a postponement to January 2024 due to union strikes by the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA.
John’s contribution to Broadway is substantial, marked by a Tony Award for his musical work in 2000’s “Aida.” Collaborating with lyricist Tim Rice, their creation secured the coveted Best Original Musical Score. John’s Broadway legacy commenced in 1975 when his compositions were featured in “Bette Midler’s Clams on the Half Shell Revue.” Expanding his impact, more of his compositions graced “Rock ’N Roll! The First 5,000 Years” in 1982.
His most enduring Broadway imprint materialized in 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theatre with the premiere of Disney’s “The Lion King,” for which John crafted the musical score. Garnering his initial Tony nomination for Best Original Musical Score, the show persists 26 years later at the Minskoff Theatre.
Presently, the musical draws an audience of 90,000 weekly across nine productions spanning four continents. “The Lion King” boasts 29 productions, witnessed by 115 million people, and performed in nine languages, including English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese. Its global gross surpasses that of any film, Broadway show, or entertainment title in box office history.
John continued his Broadway contributions with the musical scores for 2006’s “Lestat” and 2010’s “Billy Elliot,” earning another Tony nomination for Best Original Score for the latter. Further, his compositions enriched Broadway productions like 2010’s “Everyday Rapture” and 2018’s “Rocktopia.” Additionally, he contributed music to “Holler If Ya Hear Me” and “Almost Famous.” In the capacity of a Broadway producer, John secured a Tony nomination for Best Play with 2010’s “Next Fall.”
As a two-time Oscar winner, John triumphed in the Best Original Song category for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” featured in the animated film “The Lion King.” His second Oscar arrived for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) with “I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” featured in the biopic “Rocketman.”
John, a 35-time Grammy Award nominee and a five-time winner, secured honors in various categories, including Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1987 for “That’s What Friends Are For,” Best Instrumental Composition for “Basque,” Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1995 for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and another win in the same category in 1998 for “Candle in the Wind.” Collaborating with Tim Rice in 2001, John bagged Best Musical Show Album for “Aida.”
Notably, “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” triumphed over the broadcast of the 75th annual Tony Awards in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category, outshining contenders like “The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna,” “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” and “The Oscars.”