NEW YORK -- âJokerâ composer Hildur Gudnadottir made history by becoming the first woman in 19 years to win best original score at the Golden Globes, where Elton John and Bernie Taupin finally won a major award together after collaborating for 52 years.
âThis is truly â Iâm speechless,â Gudnadottir said onstage Sunday.
She was the sole female nominee, besting Randy Newman (âMarriage Storyâ), Alexandre Desplat (âLittle Womenâ), Thomas Newman (â1917âł) and Daniel Pemberton (âMotherless Brooklynâ) to win the prize. The last woman to win the Globe for best original score was Lisa Gerrard in 2001 for âGladiator,â which she shared with Hans Zimmer.
Gudnadottir is a classically trained cellist from Iceland who won an Emmy in September for scoring âChernobylâ and is also up for a Grammy for her work on the HBO series. She thanked âJokerâ director Todd Philipps, best actor winner Joaquin Phoenix and executive music producer Jason Ruder.
Early in the night, John and Taupin won best original song for writing â(Iâm Gonna) Love Me Againâ from his âRocketmanâ biopic.
â(Itâs) the first time Iâve ever won an award with him, ever,â John said onstage looking to Taupin. âWe never won a Grammy. We never did anything together except for this, and Iâm so happy.â
John won an Academy Award and Golden Globe with Tim Rice for âCan You Feel the Love Tonightâ from the original âThe Lion King.â John has also won five Grammy Awards.
Taupin won his first Golden Globe with Gustavo Santaolalla for âA Love That Will Never Grow Oldâ from âBrokeback Mountain.â
âThis is really sweet because this is not just about a song we wrote for a movie, this is a song we wrote for a movie which deals with our relationship, and itâs a relationship that doesnât happen very much in this town. Itâs a 52-year-old marriage, so thank you,â Taupin said.
Together, the duo have crafted John songs like âBennie and the Jets,â âGoodbye Yellow Brick Road,â âRocket Man,â âTiny Dancer,â âCandle in the Windâ and âSaturday Nightâs Alright for Fighting.â
â(Iâm Gonna) Love Me Againâ and âJokerâ were shortlisted for best original song and best original score, respectively, at the 2020 Academy Awards, which will take place Feb. 9.
John and Taupin beat out Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Cynthia Erivo and the wife-husband songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez to win the Golden Globe.
âThank you to all my fellow nominees, theyâre all great songwriters,â John said.
He called making âRocketmanâ one of the âmost emotional moments in my life.â
At the Globes, Taron Egerton won best performance by an actor in a motion picture â musical or comedy for portraying John.
âThank you for the music,â Egerton said to John. âThank you for being my friend.â