David Byrne inches closer to EGOT status with the Emmy nomination for American Utopia
The Spike Lee-directed concert film received the Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety Special
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Former Talking Heads’ frontperson David Byrne is one step closer to the famed EGOT status following today’s Emmy nomination for his concert film, David Byrne’s American Utopia, which is directed by Spike Lee.
The HBO original special received the Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety Special (pre-recorded). According to the rules under the Academy of Television, the award will go to the “producer(s) whose specific screen credit is Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer, Supervising Producer, Producer or Produced by, and whose functions support those credits, and the principal host/performer,” in this case—David Byrne. It is his American Utopia after all, right? If the special manages to beat out fellow nominees Bo Burnham: Inside, Dave Chappelle, Friends: The Reunion, and Broadway peer Hamilton, then Bryne will have the last letter to round out his EGOT title.
Byrne checked off the “G” part of EGOT back in 1988, winning the Grammy for his instrumental score for the biographical drama film The Last Emperor. For good measure, the Talking Heads received the lifetime achievement award this year from the Recording Academy after never attaining a Grammy throughout their time as a band.
In 1987, Byrne landed the Oscar for the best Original Score for The Last Emperor, which he shared with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su, earning him the big “O.”
After touring across the world with his experimental American Utopia set which featured solo work as well as songs from Talking Heads, Byrne took the performance to Broadway starting in 2019. This year, American Utopia received the Special Tony award, which “recognizes extraordinary contribution to the theatre.” As a member of the opening night cast, Byrne shares this award with the production crew and fellow cast members. While the validity of the non-competitive “Special Awards” are questioned by some EGOT puritans, we’ll count this one and give Byrne his “T.” Either way, he’ll be in good company with other honorary EGOT winners like Barbara Streisand, Liza Minelli, James Earl Jones, and Quincy Jones.
A few others are one step closer to EGOT status following today’s Emmy nominations, including Hamilton actors Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs, as well as WandaVision songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
18 Comments
I hope he wins. I saw American Utopia a few months before covid hit. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Spike Lee did an excellent job with the concert film. I never appreciated Talking Heads when they were around, but their music has gotten me thru lock down. Between this show, watching Stop Making Sense on loop and reading Chris Frantz’s autobiography, I’ve become a huge fan.
Please watch Passing Strange, another phenomenal stage recording that Lee did and that imho is much stronger than Hamilton. My goodness? I could couldn’t with Hamilton! Woke BS.
As an Australian, I’m not qualified to call him a National Treasure, so I nominate Byrne as a ‘Global Treasure’.
As an Australian, I’m not qualified to call him a National Treasure, so I nominate Byrne as a Global Treasure. Can you fucking publish that, kinja???
A musician getting an Oscar for a soundtrack seems like a technicality. When I think about EGOT winners, which I don’t ever, I think about multi-talented performers.
Plus the Tony and Emmy are for the same show. One for the live performances and one for the (rather straightforward) recording of a performane of the same show.
If you don’t think David Byrne is a multi-talented performer you must not be paying attention. Try googling him and educate yourself. He is a one of a kind genius. And watch American Utopia, it’s sensational.
And he’s certainly less multi-talented than this guy.
As per instructions, you have ceased to make sense.
Looking at the list of EGOT winners there are actually a lot of people who just did the same thing over all four mediums. Something like half of them were just a producer for all four or a composer for all four. Robert Lopez is probably the most impressive winner because he managed to do it in such a short time period. The others required a late career renaissance or a sort of lifetime achievement award to get them over the hump.
Yes, I don’t mean to take away from their or David Byrne’s accomplishments but when I hear EGOT I think someone who’s worn many hats. An Oscar for soundtrack work is an achievement sure but it feels like a Grammy by another name. I’d let him call himself an EGOT winner if he wanted but if I was hostess at Elaine’s I still wouldn’t let him sit in the prime booth.
Will attend the ceremony with his beautiful wife and then go home to his beautiful house?
Well, EGOT is definitely where he wants to be.
EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Theonenobodygivesashitabout
My think with the T part of EGOT is that while the other awards for generally accessible mediums the Tony recognizes art from one city that you have to be rich to see. They’re not exactly on the same playing field
why isn’t Hamilton categorized as variety as well?
It has a plot which runs all the way through, with a full company of actors.
That would be a great explanation if it didn’t turn out it is nominated for variety special also