Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have joined the elite ranks of EGOT winners at the age of 39, tying with Robert Lopez as the youngest to achieve this prestigious status. The songwriting duo secured their Emmy on Sunday for their original song "Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?" co-written with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman for Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
This victory marks Pasek and Paul as the 20th and 21st individuals to attain EGOT status, signifying wins across Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Notably, they are the first creative team to simultaneously achieve this feat, having won all four awards in collaboration.
Their journey to EGOT began in 2017 with an Oscar win for "City of Stars" from "La La Land." The same year, they clinched a Tony Award for the original score of "Dear Evan Hansen," followed by a Grammy in 2018 for the musical's cast recording.
The pair's creative partnership dates back to their freshman year at the University of Michigan. Their portfolio includes songs for "A Christmas Story, The Musical," "The Greatest Showman," and "Spirited." Future projects include contributions to Disney's live-action "Snow White" and Pharrell Williams' "Atlantis," both slated for 2025.
Pasek and Paul join a distinguished group of EGOT composers and lyricists, including Richard Rodgers, Marvin Hamlisch, Jonathan Tunick, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, John Legend, Alan Menken, and most recently, Elton John.
Their Emmy-winning song "Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?", was performed by Steve Martin in Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building." The complex patter song, centered around three infant murder suspects, served as a pivotal plot element.
"The more alliterative or the more plosives that there were, the more twists and turns or the pace of the song, the more of a payoff for you as an audience," Paul explained to The New York Times earlier this year. "You're wondering: 'Can he actually do it?'"
The composition triumphed over entries from "Girls5eva," "True Detective: Night Country," "The Tattooist of Auschwitz," and "Saturday Night Live" in the original music and lyrics category.
"Only Murders in the Building" has garnered 21 nominations, including best comedy series and acting nods for Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Meryl Streep, and Paul Rudd.
