# Justin Paul

Justin Noble Paul (born January 3, 1985) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing songs for films such as La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017), and the stage musical Dear Evan Hansen, all of which he co-wrote with his songwriting partner, Benj Pasek. With Pasek, Paul became the 20th/21st person to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards).

## Early life and education

Paul was born in Missouri, but raised in Connecticut. He attended Music Theatre of Connecticut School of Performing Arts, Coleytown Middle School, and Staples High School, both in Westport, Connecticut. While in public school, Justin was an active member of both Coleytown Company and Staples Players (his middle and high school theatre programs). He graduated from the University of Michigan in December 2006 with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

## Career

He is the co-creator, with Benj Pasek of the song cycle Edges. Also with Pasek, he is one of the songwriters for the Disney Channel show Johnny and the Sprites. Pasek and Paul won the Jonathan Larson Award in 2007. He also co-wrote and co-composed the musical Dogfight, which opened Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre in July 2012. He also composed the musical James and the Giant Peach with Benj Pasek.
The pair created and written the score for the stage musical Dear Evan Hansen which premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015. The musical, which has been called "striking for its moral complexity as well as its musical ambition", which opened on Broadway in December 2016. At the 71st Tony Awards, it is nominated for nine awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Actor in a Musical for Platt.
Pasek and Paul wrote the lyrics for the film musical La La Land. The film was written and directed by Damien Chazelle, and stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The film was the opening film at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, on August 31, 2016. The duo won the 2017 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "City of Stars." The pair received two Best Original Song nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, for "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" and "City of Stars," alongside composer Justin Hurwitz; the trio won for the latter. The duo earned another Oscar nomination the following year for co-writing the song, "This Is Me", from The Greatest Showman (2017).
Pasek and Paul also wrote the original song "Runnin' Home to You" performed by Grant Gustin for the musical crossover episode of The Flash "Duet" between The Flash and Supergirl.
In 2022, they won the Tony Award for Best Musical for serving as producers for the Broadway production of Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop.

## Personal life

Paul is married to writer Asher Fogle Paul. They have a daughter, born in 2016, and a son, born in 2018. In July 2020, they welcomed their third child. The Pauls are practicing Christians.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2011 | American Academy of Arts and Letters, Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater | American Academy of Arts and Letters, Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater | — | Honorees |
| 2011 | ASCAP Foundation Award | Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award | — | Honorees |
| 2011 | ASCAP Foundation Award | Songwriter's Fellowship Award | — | Honorees |
| 2013 | Tony Award | Best Original Score | A Christmas Story: The Musical | Nominated |
| 2013 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Music | A Christmas Story: The Musical | Nominated |
| 2013 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Musical | Dogfight | Won |
| 2013 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding New Score | Dogfight | Nominated |
| 2016 | The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical | The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical | Dear Evan Hansen | Nominated |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Lyrics | Dear Evan Hansen | Won |
| 2016 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding New Score | Dear Evan Hansen | Nominated |
| 2016 | Obie Award | Musical Theater, Music and Lyrics | Dear Evan Hansen | Won |
| 2016 | Hollywood Music in Media Award | Best Song in a Feature Film ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2016 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award | Best Music | La La Land | Won |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Song ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)") | La La Land | Nominated |
| 2016 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Award | Best Song ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2016 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Award | Best Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)") | La La Land | Nominated |
| 2016 | Satellite Award | Best Original Song ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2016 | Satellite Award | Best Original Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)") | La La Land | Nominated |
| 2016 | Houston Film Critics Society Award | Best Original Song ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2016 | Houston Film Critics Society Award | Best Original Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)") | La La Land | Nominated |
| 2016 | Golden Globe Award | Best Original Song ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2017 | Academy Award | Best Original Song ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Won |
| 2017 | Academy Award | Best Original Song ("Audition (The Fools Who Dream)") | La La Land | Nominated |
| 2017 | Tony Award | Best Original Score | Dear Evan Hansen | Won |
| 2018 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Dear Evan Hansen | Won |
| 2018 | Grammy Award | Best Song Written for Visual Media ("City of Stars") | La La Land | Nominated |
| 2018 | Hollywood Music in Media Award | Best Song in a Feature Film ("This Is Me") | The Greatest Showman | Nominated |
| 2018 | Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Song ("This Is Me") | The Greatest Showman | Nominated |
| 2018 | Golden Globe Award | Best Original Song ("This Is Me") | The Greatest Showman | Won |
| 2018 | Academy Awards | Best Original Song ("This Is Me") | The Greatest Showman | Nominated |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics ("In The Market For A Miracle") | A Christmas Story Live! | Nominated |
| 2020 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Original Score or New Orchestrations | Dear Evan Hansen | Won |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Best Musical | A Strange Loop | Won |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | "Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?" (from Only Murders in the Building: Sitzprobe) | Won |
| 2025 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program | "That's Why We Love Nature" (from Sesame Street: Tamir's Water Works) | Won |