Elton John and Bernie Taupin will be honored with the prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress (LOC). The LOC reported the news on Tuesday, January 30th. The awards ceremony will be celebrated with a concert in Washington, DC on March 20. The Gershwin Prize recognizes artists who have demonstrated “influence, impact and achievement in the field of popular song.”
LOC Director Carla Hayden said in a press release: “Elton John and Bernie Taupin have written some of the most unforgettable songs of our lives. Their careers are distinguished by the quality and broad appeal of their music, as well as their influence on their peers. More than 50 years ago, they came from across the pond to delight American and global audiences with their beautiful songs and rock anthems.”
Big honor for Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Elton John is thrilled to accept this award alongside Taupin. “I have been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never imagined that one day we could receive such an honor,” he said in his official statement. “It is an incredible honor to have two Brits recognized in this way. I am very honored.”
While John has been in the spotlight for decades, his writing partner often preferred to remain in the background. Taupin told Billboard when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023: “It’s funny because I don’t call myself a songwriter. I’m basically just a guy who writes stories.” The 73-year-old is still happy about the Gershwin Prize, as he makes clear in a statement: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to accept the prize.”
More about the Gershwin Prize
The Library of Congress established the prize in 2007. He is named after the American songwriting duo George and Ira Gershwin. The 2023 honoree was Joni Mitchell. Previous honorees have included Lionel Richie, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.
The lyricist and the composer
The duo met in 1967 through an advertisement with the words “Composer looking for lyricist,” to which Taupin applied. This would lead to a collaboration lasting over six decades. In the “Songwriter’s Hall of Fame” their work was described as so homogeneous that “Taupin was able to present John with a text and he could compose it within an hour”. For example, their 1997 hit “Candle in the Wind” holds the record as the best-selling physical single of all time.