An EGOT refers to an individual who has won all four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.
The term was coined by actor Philip Michael Thomas in the 1980s, but it gained widespread recognition through the efforts of comedian and writer Tracy Morgan during the 2009 Emmy Awards.
Here’s a breakdown of each component of the EGOT:
Emmy: The Emmy Awards recognise outstanding achievements in the television industry. There are various Emmy categories, including awards for acting, directing, writing, and more.
Grammy: The Grammy Awards honour achievements in the music industry. They cover a wide range of categories, including recordings, albums, and performances.
Oscar: The Academy Awards – commonly known as the Oscars – celebrate excellence in the film industry. Oscars are awarded in various categories such as Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and more.
Tony: The Tony Awards recognise outstanding achievements in Broadway theatre. Categories include Best Play, Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Actress, and others.
Achieving EGOT status is considered a significant accomplishment in the entertainment industry due to the diversity of skills and talents required to excel in these different fields.
As of 2024, there are only 19 people who have achieved EGOT status; read on to see all 19 EGOT winners and what they won their respective awards for…
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers, a composer and producer, was the first to ever reach EGOT status in 1962. He holds the following awards:
Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composed for Television (1962)
Grammy: Best Show Album (1960)
Oscar: Best Song (It Might as Well Be Spring from State Fair, 1945)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Musical (South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music)
Helen Hayes
Actress Helen Hayes became an EGOT winner in 1977 when she won a Grammy:
Emmy: Best Actress in a Dramatic Series (1953)
Grammy: Best Spoken Word Recording (1977)
Oscar: Best Actress in a Leading Role (The Sin of Madelon Claudet, 1932)
Tony: Best Actress in a Dramatic Play (Happy Birthday, 1947)
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno also achieved EGOT status in 1977 thanks to her Emmy win:
Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Variety or Music Program (1977)
Grammy: Best Recording for Children (The Electric Company Album, 1972)
Oscar: Best Supporting Actress (West Side Story, 1961)
Tony: Best Featured Actress in a Play (The Ritz, 1975)
Sir John Gielgud
Actor and director John Gielgud was the fourth person in history to become an EGOT winner. He did so in 1991:
Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special (Summer’s Lease, 1991)
Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album (Ages of Man, 1979)
Oscar: Best Supporting Actor (Arthur, 1981)
Tony: Best Director of a Play (Big Fish, Little Fish, 1961)
Audrey Hepburn
Sadly, Audrey Hepburn reached EGOT status after her death in 1993. She won a Grammy posthumously:
Emmy: Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming (1993)
Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album for Children (Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales, 1994)
Oscar: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Roman Holiday, 1953)
Tony: Best Actress in a Drama (Ondine, 1954)
Marvin Hamlisch
Composer Marvin Hamlisch (who also has a memorable cameo in the film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) became an EGOT winner in 1995:
Emmy: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction (1995)
Grammy: Best New Artist (1974) and Best Pop Instrumental Performance (The Entertainer, 1974)
Oscar: Various awards, including Best Original Song (The Way We Were, 1973) and Best Original Score (The Way We Were, The Sting)
Tony: Best Musical Score (A Chorus Line, 1976)
Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick – orchestrator, music arranger, composer and conductor – reached EGOT status in 1997:
Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Special (1982)
Grammy: Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) (No One is Alone from Clémentine, 1991)
Oscar: Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score (A Little Night Music, 1978)
Tony: Best Orchestrations (Titanic, 1997)
Mel Brooks
Beloved writer, director, songwriter and actor Mel Brooks became an EGOT in 2001:
Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (1997)
Grammy: Best Spoken Comedy Album (The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000, 1999)
Oscar: Best Original Screenplay (The Producers, 1968)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Musical (The Producers, 2001)
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols also achieved EGOT status in 2001, thanks to his Emmy win:
Emmy: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special (Wit, 2001)
Grammy: Best Comedy Album (An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May, 1962)
Oscar: Best Director (The Graduate, 1967)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Director of a Play (Barefoot in the Park, Luv)
Whoopi Goldberg
The 10th EGOT winner was none other than Whoopi Goldberg in 2002; historic as she was the first Black person to ever do so.
Emmy: Various awards, including Outstanding Special Class Special (Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel, 2002)
Grammy: Best Comedy Album (Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording, 1985)
Oscar: Best Supporting Actress (Ghost, 1990)
Tony: Best Musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie, 2002)
Scott Rudin
Scott Rudin, the producer, became an EGOT in 2012:
Emmy: Outstanding Children’s Program (He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’, 1984)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album (The Book of Mormon, 2012)
Oscar: Best Picture (No Country for Old Men, 2007)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Play (Doubt, The Book of Mormon)
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez became an EGOT in 2014 but as of 2024, he is the only person to have won all four awards more than once; Robert has won two Oscars, three Tonys, three Grammys, and four Emmys:
Emmy: Various awards, including Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Series and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (Wonder Pets!, 2008, Agatha All Along from WandaVision, 2021)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best Musical Theater Album and Best Song Written for Visual Media (The Book of Mormon, 2012, Let It Go from Frozen, 2015)
Oscar: Best Original Song (Let It Go from Frozen, 2013, Remember Me from Coco, 2017)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical (Avenue Q, 2004, The Book of Mormon, 2011)
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber added EGOT winner to his long list of achievements in 2018:
Emmy: Outstanding Variety Special (Live) (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, 2018)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Requiem, 1986)
Oscar: Best Original Song (You Must Love Me from Evita, 1997)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Musical (Evita, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera)
Tim Rice
Lyricist, librettist and producer Tim Rice also became an EGOT winner in 2018:
Emmy: Outstanding Variety Special (Live) (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, 2018)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best Musical Show Album (Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, 2000)
Oscar: Best Original Song (A Whole New World from Aladdin, 1993, Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King, 1995)
Tony: Best Original Score (Evita, 1980, Aida, 2000)
John Legend
Also in 2018, and also because of the same award as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, John Legend became an EGOT winner:
Emmy: Outstanding Variety Special (Live) (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, 2018)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best New Artist (2006) and Best R&B Album (Get Lifted, 2006)
Oscar: Best Original Song (Glory from Selma, 2015)
Tony: Best Revival of a Play (Jitney, 2017)
Alan Menken
Alan Menken, the composer and producer, reached EGOT status in 2020:
Emmy: Outstanding Original Song in a Children’s, Young Adult or Animated Program (Waiting in the Wings from Tangled: The Series, 2020)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or for Television (A Whole New World from Aladdin, 1993, Beauty and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, 1993)
Oscar: Various awards, including Best Original Score (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin)
Tony: Best Original Score (Newsies, 2012)
Jennifer Hudson
Singer, actress, producer and talk show host Jennifer Hudson became an EGOT winner in 2022 thanks to her Tony win:
Emmy: Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program (Baba Yaga, 2021)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best R&B Album (Jennifer Hudson, 2009)
Oscar: Best Supporting Actress (Dreamgirls, 2007)
Tony: Best Musical (A Strange Loop, 2022)
Viola Davis
Viola Davis, the powerhouse actress and producer, achieved EGOT status in 2023:
Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (How to Get Away with Murder, 2015)
Grammy: Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording (Finding Me, 2023)
Oscar: Best Supporting Actress (Fences, 2016)
Tony: Various awards, including Best Featured Actress in a Play (King Hedley II, 2001) and Best Leading Actress in a Play (Fences, 2010)
Sir Elton John
Elton John is the 19th person to ever become an EGOT winner. He did so in January 2024 at the 75th Emmy Awards:
Emmy: Best Variety Special (Live) (Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, 2024)
Grammy: Various awards, including Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (Can You Feel the Love Tonight, 1995) and Best Musical Show Album (Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida, 2001)
Oscar: Best Original Song (Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King, 1994, Love Me Again from Rocketman, 2019)
Tony: Best Original Score (Aida, 2000)
