Somehow, we’re making our way back into awards season for another year. The first major ceremony in the calendar is the Primetime Emmys, but the Grammys are here now, and people have EGOTs on the brain.
If you’re hearing the term floating around, here’s a simple look into what it means and who has achieved this incredible feat.
First of all, what does EGOT mean?
The term EGOT is simply an acronym for four major awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. EGOT winners are stupidly talented folks who have won at least one of each of these awards.
As of 2023, there are 18 artists who have achieved the incredible feat of landing the title of EGOT winner. Viola Davis is the latest artist to join the club.
Who are the 17 EGOT winners?
With Viola Davis taking home the Grammy for best audiobook, narration and storytelling for her memoir, Finding Me, she has officially become the 18th artist with an EGOT status.
Davis has also won two Tony Awards, one for best-featured actress in a play in King Hedley II and another for best lead actress in a play in the 2010 production of Fences. She took home her Oscar in 2017 for best performance in the film adaptation of Fences. Her Emmy was awarded for her portrayal of Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series).
Other EGOT winners include:
- Audrey Hepburn
- Mel Brooks
- Richard Rodgers
- Helen Hayes
- Rita Moreno
- John Gielgud
- Marvin Hamlisch
- Jonathan Tunick
- Mike Nichols
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Robert Lopez
- John Legend
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Tim Rice
- Alan Menken
- Scott Rudin
- Jennifer Hudson
Prior to Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson was the most recent artist to join the club after winning a Best Musical Tony for A Strange Loop in 2022. Robert Lopez is the first-ever double EGOT winner, which is just ridiculous.
Other four-awards winners
You may not be aware but there are rules around what constitutes an official EGOT winner status. There are performers who have technically taken home all four awards but are not counted in the EGOT club because they took home one award either in an honourary or non-competitive manner.
In any case, stacking an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award on the shelf is still mighty impressive, so here is the list of those talented people, too.
- Barbra Streisand
- Liza Minnelli
- James Earl Jones
- Harry Belafonte
- Quincy Jones
The likes of Kate Winslet, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billy Porter, Julie Andrews, and even Cher are one win away from the EGOT winner status (there are loads of three-award winners), so the race is on. Who will join the club next?
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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