John wasn’t in attendance at the ceremony held at Los Angeles’ Peacock theater, but executive producer Ben Winston accepted the award (from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in full “Weekend Update” costume, no less) on his behalf, opening by saying, “Thank you so much. I am not Elton John, I’m not.” Winston seemed to begin to say that John had a knee operation, before quickly reassuring viewers, “He’s absolutely fine.” He went on to acknowledge the historic moment, saying:
“We knew this show would be historic because it was gonna be Elton’s last ever show in North America on tour. We knew it would be historic because it was Disney’s first ever live global stream. We didn’t know it was gonna be historic because it was going to win a man who has created the soundtrack to our lives, who has done so much great for society, who is all of our heroes — we didn’t know it was gonna win him an EGOT.”
John shared his own statement per Town & Country, thanking everyone who had supported him and noting that “Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives.” The musician now joins a small club with just 19 other members, including fellow musicians Jennifer Hudson and John Legend.