Alan Menken is Officially an EGOT!

Alan Menken

There is a lot that's uncertain about the year ahead. Among them is the potential for theaters to open, and whether anything will ever return to normal. It's easy to become skeptical during this time and think that nothing good comes during this time. Well, in a strange turn of events, this past weekend brought with it some great news for longtime Disney fans. Composer Alan Menken has finally achieved the illustrious EGOT status, becoming only the 16th person to achieve this. With his Daytime Emmy win for Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, he comes full circle in a fruitful partnership with Disney that has rewarded him greatly.  

When you go down the list of great performers, many will be surprised that so and so aren't EGOT winners. The status highlights artists who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, which are considered the highest achievements in their given fields. It's a prestigious honor that has included such names as Mel Brooks, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Lopez, and even Whoopi Goldberg. Before Menken, the most recent inductees was the first-ever threeway tie for Jesus Christ Superstar Live with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, and John Legend. Given the trajectory of 2020, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be joining that list.

Though lo and behold there is Menken, who has been one of the most acclaimed composers of his generation. If you grew up at any point in the past 30 years, there is a good chance that you know his work. Starting with The Little Mermaid, he has received many Oscar nominations (and a few wins), for his work in both the song and score categories. He has helped to write some of the Disney Renaissance's most memorable songs including "Under the Sea," "Beauty and the Beast," and most recently with the soundtracks for Enchanted, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet. He's even working on a few projects as we speak, adapting shows like Hercules into Broadway productions and working on live action versions of The Little Mermaid.

Considering his prolific work, it's interesting that it took this long for him to achieve this status. Even then, it's more than deserved. With his Daytime Emmy award for Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, he becomes the latest to join the list and does so with distinct honor. Given that he's won exclusively for Disney-sanctioned content, he's also given an even more respected signifier with this (his only Tony win came for the Broadway version of Newsies). With everything said, it's great to have his name on the list.

There are dozens of people who have come very close to EGOT status. Even in the Disney camp, recent composers like Lin-Manuel Miranda and duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are just one award shy of joining the club. With that said, there are others like Stephen Sondheim who have come close but are running short on time to achieve this honor. The title isn't specifically a distinction of greater artists, but those who have gone above and beyond in ways that have been awarded. For all 16 of these individuals, there are hundreds more deserving to be on this list.

I am thankful to have Menken on it mostly because it feels like one of those names that would've been on it years ago. His work is one of the few pieces related to film that has never left the zeitgeist, constantly being hummed and referenced. His talent is immense and I'm glad to have him on the list. Here's hoping that he continues to produce a lot of great work in the near future and puts him on a rare list with Robert Lopez as a Double EGOT. It doesn't seem likely, but one can hope. If nothing else, it feels like good cross-promotion for the upcoming documentary of his former writing partner Howard Ashman, coming to Disney+ next month. It's a good time to sing a happy song. It's even better if you're Alan Menken.