Taron Egerton takes Golden Globe in upset over Eddie Murphy and Leonardo DiCaprio

Taron Egerton
(Image credit: Valerie Macon / Getty Images)

Taron Egerton just took home the leading actor in a musical or comedy Golden Globe in yet another surprise upset.

Egerton took the trophy for his performance as Elton John in Rocketman, beating out the frontrunners, Eddie Murphy and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In his acceptance speech, an emotional Egerton paid his respect to the "legitimate icons" in the category. He also thanked John himself "for being my friend."

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This is Egerton's first nomination at the Golden Globes and first win, and it came after John's original song for Rocketman also won a prize earlier in the night.

"Quite the upset, brilliant as he was in Rocketman," NPR's Eric Deggans observed. "Looks like [the Hollywood Foreign Press Association] loves Elton..."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.