Mary Poppins Returns composer Marc Shaiman could EGOT this year

Remember that episode of 30 Rock where Tracy decides he wants to EGOT? And then Grizz and Dot Com teach him that most people who EGOT are composers? Turns out there’s truth in comedy: composer Marc Shaiman is the only nominee poised to EGOT this year. Shaiman is nominated twice at the 2019 Academy Awards for Mary Poppins Returns, for the film’s score and for the song “The Place Where the Lost Things Go.”

Shaiman has written scores for dozens of films, including When Harry Met Sally…, The Addams Family, Misery, Patch Adams, and First Wives Club, but he’s perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for Broadway smash Hairspray with songwriting partner Scott Wittman (for which he won his Tony Award). Hairspray was also the key to Shaiman’s Grammy: he won for its original Broadway cast recording.

Shaiman won his Emmy for writing for the telecast of the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, although he’s been nominated more than 10 times total, including for the songs he wrote for cult-favorite TV show Smash.

Mary Poppins Returns marks Shaiman’s fourth and fifth Oscar nominations. He had previously been nominated for the scores to Sleepless in Seattle and First Wives Club, and for the song “Blame Canada” from South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.

Although he’s up against odds-favorite “Shallow” for Best Original Song, the Best Original Score field might prove equally challenging: fellow nominated films are Black Panther, Isle of Dogs, BlacKkKlansman, and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Shaiman worked on Poppins with two other EGTs — Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dick Van Dyke — although neither received noms this year for that elusive O.

Related content:

• Why ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ isn’t in Mary Poppins Returns
• Mary Poppins Returns is the movie Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman have been waiting for
• Listen to all five of this year’s Best Original Song Oscar nominees