OMITB Songwriters Pasek & Paul Achieve 2024 Emmy EGOT

EGOT Achieved: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Make Musical History

Only EGOTs in the building!

Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Join the Exclusive Club

Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul just became the newest members of the EGOT club at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys. The duo won their Emmy on Sunday for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for their season 3 earworm, “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” from Hulu‘s whodunnit comedy series Only Murders in the Building.

The Creation of “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?”

Pasek and Paul co-wrote the tongue-twisting “patter” song with another iconic duo, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can, Mary Poppins Returns), for season 3, episode 8, “Sitzprobe,” when Steve Martin’s character Charles performs it for the fictional show-with-the-show, Death Rattle Dazzle.

Past Achievements and Future Success

Pasek and Paul previously won an Oscar in 2016 for La La Land’s “City of Stars,” and a Tony in 2017 and a Grammy in 2018 for Dear Evan Hansen.

“Getting to write something that felt like it was really from a classic musical theater genre and leaning into our musical theater nerd roots was so fun,” Pasek previously told Entertainment Weekly. “There was the assignment that in episode 8, he needs to deliver this really complex patter song full of alliteration and plosives and tongue-twisty rhymes. That gives us a flashlight and a roadmap to say, ‘Okay, well, we need to build something that’s going to make sense in that context.’ We knew that the song had to be really, really difficult to sing so that when he does accomplish it, it feels like a momentous achievement for the character.”

Challenges of Writing for Steve Martin

Writing for Martin was both an honor and a challenge for the duo. “We knew that he’s a real musician and a composer and songwriter himself, so we knew he could probably pull it all off,” Paul previously told EW. “That made us feel entitled to make it difficult and challenging. But it also is daunting because it’s like, ‘Okay, he’s one of the most talented performers of our era, so we need to make something that’s worthy of him as a musician, performer, singer, and comedian.'”

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Recognition for “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?”

OMITB beat out fellow competitors Girls5eva’s “The Medium Time,” Saturday Night Live’s “Maya Rudolph Mother’s Day Monologue,” The Tattooist of Auschwitz’s “Love Will Survive,” and True Detective: Night Country’s “No Use.”

Experience OMITB Season 4

OMITB season 4 is currently releasing new episodes every Tuesday on Hulu.

FAQs

Q: What other awards have Benj Pasek and Justin Paul won?

A: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have won an Oscar, a Tony, and a Grammy for their exceptional work in musical theater and film.

Q: How did the duo approach writing a complex patter song for Steve Martin?

A: Pasek and Paul took on the challenge of creating a difficult yet rewarding song for Steve Martin by leveraging their musical theater backgrounds and admiration for his talent.

Credit: ew.com