The 74th annual Tony Awards were held this weekend, and among the winners was David Byrne. American Utopia won a Special Tony Award, a title given to shows that don’t fit in any of the competitive categories. As Consequence notes, this puts Byrne just an Emmy victory away from achieving the coveted EGOT status, an unofficial title bestowed upon people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Academy Award (Oscar), and a Tony.
Byrne actually had a chance to secure that Emmy earlier this month: American Utopia was nominated for Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) at the Emmys, but lost to Hamilton. Meanwhile, Byrne won one of the six Grammys for which he has been nominated: Best Album Of Original Instrumental Background Score Written For A Motion Picture Or Television in 1988, for his work on The Last Emperor. That same year, his score for that movie also got him an Oscar for Best Original Score.
Elsewhere during the Tonys, Byrne gave a performance from American Utopia:
.@DBtodomundo BRINGING down the house with that performance of "Burning Down the House" from @americanutopia! #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/rxATHbnEAX
— CBS (@CBS) September 27, 2021
Aside from Byrne, there are a number of other musicians who are just a single win away from getting their EGOT. Also needing just an Emmy to round out their EGOT are Elton John and Stephen Sondheim. Meanwhile, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Common, Cher, Ludwig Göransson, and Randy Newman all just need a Tony. As for musicians missing an Oscar, that list includes Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Bette Midler, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
As for musicians who have won an EGOT, John Legend did it in 2018. Esteemed composer Alan Menken is the latest person to enter the club, winning his needed Emmy in 2020.
