Only 19 performers have achieved EGOT status. Following Elton John’s historic win, here are all of the stars who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony…
On Monday, January 15, 2024 Elton John officially joined the elite EGOT club when he won an Emmy for his Disney+ special Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium. John is the 19th winner of an EGOT – the acronym reserved for those who win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony – and finds his place among a select few legendary performers.
John previously won two Oscars in the best original song category in 2020 and 1995 for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” in Rocketman and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” in The Lion King, respectively. In 2000, John won a best original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theatre Tony for the play Aida. He is also a six-time Grammy award winner.
John was not present at Monday’s Emmys ceremony, but said in a statement that he’s “incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight.”
“The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world. Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives,” he said. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I am incredibly grateful.”
Cinching an EGOT isn’t easy and only 19 people have done it so far
Before John, Viola Davis was the newest member of the club in 2023. Davis won her first Grammy in February last year for the audiobook recording of her memoir, Finding Me. She’s the third black female EGOT winner, after Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Hudson.
The prestigious EGOT list includes such notable figures as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rita Moreno, John Legend and Goldberg. While the likes of Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and James Earl Jones could be considered EGOT winners, after winning honorary awards at one of the relevant ceremonies, the title is typically reserved for those who have scooped prizes in competitive categories.
Here’s the full list of all 19 EGOT winners.
1. Richard Rodgers
EGOT completed: 1962
The American composer became the first person to win all four awards back in 1962. Known for his work in musical theatre, Rodgers – who has more than 900 song credits to his name – is behind the soundtracks for productions such as The King and I and The Sound of Music, written together with Oscar Hammerstein II. He has one Oscar, for a song from State Fair, one Emmy, for Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years, six Tonys and two Grammys.
2. Helen Hayes
EGOT completed: 1977
The American actress was the first woman to score the EGOT title, with her Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording for Great American Documents. The star, who died in 1993, was also the first person to win the Triple Crown of Acting, with singular acting wins at the Emmys, Oscars and Tonys. She won Academy Awards for roles in The Sin of Madelon Claudet and Airport, an Emmy for Schlitz Playhouse of Stars and Tonys for her performances in plays Happy Birthday and Time Remembered.
3. Rita Moreno
EGOT completed: 1977
The West Side Story actress started off her EGOT run with a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for her turn in the 1961 musical. The Puerto Rican star also has a Grammy for children’s album The Electric Company, a Tony for her role in The Ritz and two Emmys for performances in The Muppet Show and The Rockford Files.
4. John Gielgud
EGOT completed: 1991
The British actor and theatre director was a screen and stage regular, winning his first of the EGOT quartet, a Tony, in 1948 for his role in The Importance of Being Earnest. He went on to acquire an Oscar for his supporting role in Arthur, an Emmy for Summer’s Lease and a Grammy for the spoken word recording Ages of Man. He went on to win a second Tony for directing Big Fish, Little Fish.
5. Audrey Hepburn
EGOT completed: 1994
The Breakfast at Tiffany’s actress was awarded EGOT status posthumously, as her Grammy for spoken word album, Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales, was granted the year after her death. Hepburn also has an Oscar for her role in Roman Holiday, an Emmy for her work on Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn and a Tony for her role in the play Ondine.
6. Marvin Hamlisch
EGOT completed: 1995
This heavyweight composer has a whopping 12 Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys in total, proving that music really is where you have the most chance of striking EGOT gold. Hamlisch, who died in 2012, won Academy Awards and Grammys for his scores for The Way We Were and The Sting, a Tony for his work on A Chorus Line and his four Emmys include his work on a televised performance of Barba Streisand: The Concert.
7. Jonathan Tunick
EGOT completed: 1997
The American composer completed his EGOT in 1997 with a Tony for his orchestration on the musical Titanic. Tunick also holds an Oscar for his score of A Little Night Music, a Grammy for his arrangement of Cleo Laine’s album No One is Alone and an Emmy for his work on Night of 100 Stars.
8. Mel Brooks
EGOT completed: 2001
The esteemed director, actor and writer scored three Tonys, a Grammy and an Oscar for writing musical comedy The Producers. Brooks, who is also known for his comedic chops, has a further two Grammys and four Emmys, three of which were for his performances on Mad About You, taking his total tally up to 11 awards in total.
9. Mike Nichols
EGOT completed: 2001
The comedian-turned-director, who died in 2014, managed to rack up an impressive 15 awards, with the majority based on his skills in direction. Winning an Oscar for directing The Graduate, Nichols also has a Grammy for Best Comedy Performance for An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May. His four Emmys include nods for directing Angels in America, while his nine Tonys include plaudits for directing plays such as Death of a Salesman and musicals including Annie and Monty Python’s Spamalot.
10. Whoopi Goldberg
EGOT completed: 2002
The American actress and comedian claimed her EGOT back in 2002, after she won an Emmy and Tony in the same year. The Sister Act star won an Oscar for her role in Ghost in 1991, while she produced Tony-winning Best Musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. Goldberg also has one Grammy, for Best Comedy Recording, and two Emmys, for her work on Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel and The View.
11. Scott Rudin
EGOT completed: 2012
The American film, TV and theatre producer earned his EGOT by doing just that – producing. He kicked off his run with an Emmy for producing children’s programme He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’, while his 2008 Oscar was for his work on No Country For Old Men. Rudin scored a Grammy for the Broadway cast recording of The Book of Mormon, while he has a staggering 17 Tonys under his belt, including work on musicals such as Passion and plays including Doubt, The History Boys and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
12. Robert Lopez
EGOT completed: 2014
The American songwriter is the youngest EGOT recipient, having completed his quartet at the age of 39. Lopez is most known for his catchy tunes, having written the Oscar-winning “Let It Go” from Frozen, as well as Oscar-winning “Remember Me” from Coco. His two Emmys are for his work on Wonder Pets!, while songs from Frozen and musical The Book of Mormon scored him three Grammys. The latter also netted him two Tonys, along with one for his work on Avenue Q.
13. Andrew Lloyd Webber
EGOT completed: 2018
The British composer and musical theatre legend might have six Tonys under his belt, dating back to a 1980 award for Evita, but it was only in 2018 that he achieved EGOT status. Webber, who has composed scores for productions such as Cats and Phantom of the Opera, won his only Emmy in 2018 for his work on Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, along with Legend and lyricist Tim Rice. The composer, who has written scores for 21 musicals in his career, also has three Grammys and an Oscar for Best Original Song, “You Must Love Me,” from the film adaptation of Evita starring Madonna.
14. Tim Rice
EGOT completed: 2018
Webber’s long-time collaborator is also an EGOT holder, sharing some of his awards with the composer for songs he’s written the lyrics to. Rice has three Tonys including one for Best Original Score for Aida, one Emmy, five Grammys and three Oscars. The last are all for Best Original Song, for Evita‘s “You Must Love Me,” Aladdin‘s “A Whole New World” and The Lion King‘s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”
15. John Legend
EGOT completed: 2018
Legend achieved EGOT status in 2018, when he won a Primetime Emmy for his work on Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. The first black male recipient to join the EGOT ranks, Legend has a whopping 11 Grammys to his name, dating back to 2006, while he scored an Oscar in 2015 for Best Original Song for his track “Glory” from Selma. His Tony, meanwhile, came from co-producing the revival of musical Jitney.
16. Alan Menken
EGOT completed: 2020
American songwriter and musician Alan Menken became the 16th person on the EGOT list in July 2020. Menken completed his personal quartet when he was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Original Song for a track he crafted for the Disney Channel’s Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. The composer has eight Oscars to his name, including wins for his scores for Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas, as well as 11 Grammys predominately for his Disney songs. He also won a Tony in 2012 for his music in Broadway production Newsies.
17. Jennifer Hudson
EGOT completed: 2022
Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson was awarded her EGOT status when A Strange Loop, a musical she starred in and produced, won best musical at the Tony Awards in June 2022. Previously, she had won two Grammys, a Daytime Emmy and an Oscar for her turn in 2006 film Dreamgirls.
18. Viola Davis
EGOT completed: 2023
Actress Viola Davis joined the EGOT list after winning her first Grammy in February 2023, for the audiobook recording of her memoir. She’s the most Oscar-nominated black female actor in history, with four nods, and she won Best Supporting Actress in 2017 for her performance in Fences. She won the Best Lead Actress Tony in 2010 for the same role, as well as the Best Featured Actress Tony for her role in the Broadway play King Hedley II in 2001. She scooped an Emmy in 2015 for her role in TV show How to Get Away with Murder.
19. Sir Elton John
EGOT completed: 2024
The multi-award-winning British composer and singer became the latest artist to receive EGOT, winning an Emmy Award in 2024 in the category of Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for his Disney+ programme, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium concert. John has previously won two Oscars for Best Original Song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” from The Lion King in 1994 and “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from Rocketman in 2019. He won a Tony Award for the original score of Aida in 2000 and is a five-time Grammy Award winner for That’s What Friends Are For in 1987, Basque in 1992, Can You Feel the Love Tonight in 1995, Candle in the Wind in 1998 and Aida in 2001.
