Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, have been chosen to receive the 2024 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The duo will be honored at an all-star tribute concert that will take place March 20 in Washington, D.C.
Videos by American Songwriter
A special featuring highlights from the event will air premiere April 8 on PBS at 8 p.m. ET. The program also will be available to stream via PBS.org and the PBS App.
About the Gershwin Prize
The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is presented in recognition of the legendary songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin. It is the United States’ highest award for influence, impact, and achievement in popular music. Honorees are selected by the Librarian of Congress in consultation with a board that includes songwriters, performers, producers, scholars, and other specialists in the music field.
Comments from John, Taupin, and the Librarian of Congress
“I’ve been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that … one day this might be bestowed upon us,” John said in a statement. “It’s an incredible honor for two British guys to be recognized like this. I’m so honored.”
Added Taupin, “To be in a house along with the great American songwriters, to even be in the same avenue is humbling, and I am absolutely thrilled to accept.”
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, meanwhile, praised John and Taupin for having written “some of the most memorable songs of our lives.” She also commended “the quality and broad appeal of their music and their influence on their fellow artists.”
Some Career Highlights
John and Taupin began collaborating in 1967. Their long partnership has yielded an impressive body of work that includes such chart-topping hits as “Crocodile Rock,” “Benny and the Jets,” “Philadelphia Freedom,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and “Candle in the Wind 1997.” The latter tune, an updated version of a 1973 John-Taupin tune rewritten to honor the late Princess Diana, became the most successful physical single ever, selling more than 33 million copies.
John and Taupin’s many other achievements includes a 1992 induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They also were inducted separately into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. John and Taupin were honored, respectively, in 1994 and 2023.
Previous Gershwin Prize Honorees
Joni Mitchell was the recipient of the Gershwin Prize in 2023. Previous honorees also include Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Paul Simon, Lionel Richie, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, the songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, and Garth Brooks.
