It was over a year ago that Taika Waititi took the stage at the 92nd Academy Awards to accept the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, but he's evidently not done taking home trophies thanks to his work on the incredible 2019 movie Jojo Rabbit. Today the actor/writer/director/producer now finds himself one step closer to being called an EGOT winner, as he was announced as the new owner of a Grammy this afternoon, given the prize for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. His acceptance speech was broadcast straight from the set of the in-production Thor: Love And Thunder, and he honestly seemed more confused than anything to be receiving the honor. You can watch his reaction to the Grammy win in the video below:
Like other award shows that have been broadcast in the last year, the 63rd Annual Grammys was done as a mix of in-person and virtual presenters and winners, and Taika Waititi tuned in to accept his award from a trailer in Australia. While he was clearly a touch weirded out to be getting an award for a film that was released nearly a year-and-a-half ago, the eligibility period for the program stretched back to September 1, 2019, and the Jojo Rabbit soundtrack was released on October 18, 2019. Waititi had some pretty stiff competition in the category, with other titles including Frozen 2, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Bill And Ted Face The Music, and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
The soundtrack for Jojo Rabbit includes a trio of tracks from composer Michael Giacchino, but also an eclectic mix of non-contemporary music that proved a tremendous asset for the film – with special treats including German versions of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles ("Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand") and "Heroes" by David Bowie ("Helden"). Other outstanding artists on the album include Tom Waits, Ella Fitzgerald, and Roy Orbison. It joins a great legacy as a winner in the 21-year-old category, with past victors including La La Land, Frozen, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Now that he has an Oscar and a Grammy, Taika Waititi is now only a Emmy and a Tony away from being one of the few in history to ever win the highest honors in film, television, music, and theatre, and it doesn't seem all that impossible that he could one day be a part of that special club. While he didn't walk away with a prize, just last year he was up for two Emmys, including Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (for The Mandalorian Season 1) and Outstanding Comedy Series (as a producer on What We Do In The Shadows). And while he hasn't done anything for Broadway just yet, it's not hard to believe at all that he could one day enter that space and do some amazing work.
As noted, Taika Waititi is currently hard at work filming Thor: Love And Thunder (read more about it in our Upcoming Marvel Movies guide), and that undertaking is a behemoth one; however, it's not even his first movie after the aforementioned Jojo Rabbit. In fact, his next directorial effort released is expected to be the sports comedy Next Goal Wins (though it doesn't presently have a set release date), so it really has been a long time since his work on Jojo Rabbit commenced. However, if you missed the film upon its initial release, Jojo Rabbit is available to stream on HBO Max, or purchase digitally at any major retailer – and the latter can also be said about its Grammy-winning soundtrack.
