Common is officially one award away from EGOT status. It was on Saturday that the multi-hyphenate was gifted with his very first Emmy award for his role in co-writing the song “Letter To The Free” for 13th, the award-winning Netflix documentary directed by Ava DuVernay.
For those unfamiliar with acronym EGOT indicated having won the four major awards in the realm of the arts and entertainment: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. It was back in 2015, that he won an Oscar alongside singer-songwriter John Legend for Best Original Song for “Glory,” the powerful anthem that come with “Selma” the Martin luther King Jr. biopic also directed by DuVernay.
Naturally, he’s also earned his fair share of Grammy nods, having taking home the coveted Gramaphone three times for Best R&B Song in 2003 with Erykah Badu (“Love Of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop), Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2008 with Kanye West (”Southside”), and in 2015 for Best Song Written for Visual Media with John Legend (“Glory”). His Emmy for “13th” is shared with Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins.
“#Blessed. I’m grateful to have won this #Emmy award last night for my song, ‘Letter to the Free,’ on Ava DuVernay 13TH,” Common wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. “When the movement is strong, the music is strong. This #Emmy is really for the people who are incarcerated. We love you and we see you. I’ll continue to stand up for justice and equality.”
Other nominees in the category for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics included shows such as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jimmy Kimmel Live, A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Saturday Night Live for Chance the Rapper’s “Last Christmas.”
“This is really for the people that are incarcerated,” he added in a brief acceptance speech in an Instagram clip alongside Robert Glasper. “We believe and know that we can bring the love to the people that’s locked up. That’s what we are doing this for. This is gonna make me do more work. But hey, I’m celebrating too though.”