"And the award goes to ..." Not who you might think. Is your favorite actor a member of the exclusive EGOT club?
On Sunday night, Feb. 5, 2023, actress/writer Viola Davis, 57, won her first Grammy for the audiobook performance of her memoir, “Finding Me,” making her only the 18th person in history to achieve EGOT status. But what does EGOT mean and why is it such a big deal?
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EGOT is the acronym for those who have won each of the major entertainment awards, as in an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. These awards honor outstanding achievements in television, music, film and theater (stage), respectively.
We sometimes hear about a double or triple threat — someone who can do two or three of those talents well, like singing and dancing, or singing, acting and dancing — but who's so ultra-talented that they can pull off a win in all four categories? Not too many it turns out.
As of this writing, only 18 people in history have achieved the elusive EGOT. Can you guess who among entertainment's elite has won the "grand slam" of show business?
The list just may surprise you:
- Richard Rodgers: Emmy (1962); Grammy (1960, 1962); Oscar (1945); Tony (1950, 1952, 1960, 1962); EGOT status 1962
- Helen Hayes: Emmy (1953); Grammy (1977); Oscar (1945); Tony (1932, 1970); EGOT status 1970
- Rita Moreno: Emmy (1977, 1978); Grammy (1972); Oscar (1962); Tony (1975); EGOT status 1975
- John Gielgud: Emmy (1991); Grammy (1979); Oscar (1981); Tony (1948, 1961); EGOT status 1991
- Audrey Hepburn: Emmy (1993); Grammy (1994); Oscar (1954); Tony (1954); EGOT status 1994
- Marvin Hamlisch: Emmy (1995, 1999, 2001); Grammy (1974); Oscar (1973); Tony (1976); EGOT status 1995
- Jonathan Tunick: Emmy (1982); Grammy (1988); Oscar (1977); Tony (1997); EGOT status 1997
- Mel Brooks: Emmy (1967, 1997-1999); Grammy (1998, 2002); Oscar (1969); Tony (2001); EGOT status 2001
- Mike Nichols: Emmy (2001, 2004); Grammy (1961); Oscar (1968); Tony (1964, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1977, 1984, 2005, 2012); EGOT status 2001
- Whoopi Goldberg: Emmy (2002, 2009); Grammy (1986); Oscar (1990); Tony (2002); EGOT status 2002
- Robert Lopez: Emmy (2008, 2010); Grammy (2012, 2015); Oscar (2014, 2018); Tony (2004, 2011); Lopez has received every award twice, meaning he's technically earned EGOT status twice, first in 2012 and again in 2018.
- Scott Rudin: Emmy (1984); Grammy (2012); Oscar (2008); Tony (1994, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009-2012, 2014-17, 2019); EGOT status 2014
- Andrew Lloyd Webber: Emmy (2018); Grammy (1980, 1983, 1986); Oscar (1997); Tony (1980, 1983, 1988, 1995); EGOT status 2018
- Tim Rice: Emmy (2018); Grammy (1980, 1993, 2000); Oscar (1993, 1995, 1997); Tony (1980, 2000); EGOT status 2018
- John Legend: Emmy (2018, 2019); Grammy (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2020); Oscar (2015); Tony (2017); EGOT status 2018
- Alan Menken: Emmy (2020); Grammy (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2012); Oscar (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995); Tony (2012); EGOT status 2020
- Jennifer Hudson: Emmy (2021); Grammy (2009, 2017); Oscar (2006); Tony (2022) EGOT status 2022
- Viola Davis: Emmy (2015); Grammy (2023); Oscar (2017); Tony (2001, 2010); EGOT status 2023
Wait, what? Admit it, you're kind of surprised, right? No Meryl Streep, Anthony Hopkins or other typical luminary of Hollywood. Aside from a few performers, most of the EGOT winners are those behind the scenes and not in front of the camera or audience. They're the composers, writers and producers behind some of your favorite shows, movies, albums and plays.
We can presume these folks work across more genres of entertainment than those in the spotlight; it doesn't necessarily mean they're more talented, but they have more exposure to a variety of media.
Not all Oscars are given for acting; there are categories in music, writing, costume design and so many more. Likewise, not all Grammys are for performing; other Grammys are awarded for production and packaging among others. And so it goes for all the awards.
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