The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song will be shared this year by renowned songwriting partnership Bernie Taupin and Elton John.
Established in honor of George and Ira Gershwin, another legendary songwriting duo, whose archives are housed by the Library of Congress,Gershwin Prize is one of the most renowned music prizes in the United States. On March 20, at an all-star tribute performance in Washington, D.C., they will receive the prize. Parts of it will premiere on PBS on April 8.
According to Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, “they are the epitome of what George and Ira Gershwin stand for: legendary songwriting teams that have really resonated with generations of music lovers,” NPR was told.
The prize is known as the “nation’s highest award for influence, impact, and achievement in popular music,” and it bears the names of Jazz Age songwriters George and Ira Gershwin. 1992 saw the induction of the two musicians into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Elton John became one of only three pop stars to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony earlier this year. (Maybe we can name him an EGGOT now that he has a Gershwin.)
Statement by Elton John
In the same statement, Elton John said, “I’ve been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that one day this might be bestowed upon us.” “It’s an incredible honor for two British guys to be recognized like this.”
In 1992, John and Taupin were admitted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. John admitted Taupin to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. This month, John won an Emmy for “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” cementing his EGOT title.
