By Louisa BallhausFeatures correspondent
Getty ImagesSir Elton John has long cemented himself as a living legend, but that distinction got four letters sweeter at this week’s Emmy Awards.
With his Emmys win for Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, John became the 19th person to earn the title of “EGOT”, joining the ranks of decorated entertainers such as Audrey Hepburn, Whoopi Goldberg, Andrew Lloyd Webber and others – 15 others, to be exact. The EGOT is perhaps the most coveted title of all in the entertainment industry, and it’s impossible to win without being a multitalented artist capable of achieving excellence across four major mediums.
What is an EGOT?
An EGOT refers to the rare achievement of winning all four of the most prestigious awards in television, music, film and Broadway: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, respectively.
In 1962, famed composer Richard Rodgers became the very first EGOT winner when he added an Emmy to his Grammy, Oscar and two Tonys, for his work on musicals such as The Sound of Music and South Pacific. He set in motion both the tier of EGOT itself and the tradition of composers frequently populating its ranks alongside singers, actors, producers, directors and lyricists. EGOT winners are nearly always musically talented, though Mike Nichols, Mel Brooks and Whoopi Goldberg all snagged comedy Grammys that led to their EGOT wins – and Viola Davis, Audrey Hepburn and John Gielgud won their Grammys for narrative recordings.
Here’s the complete list of all 19 EGOT winners, from Richard Rodgers to Sir Elton John.
Getty ImagesA complete list of EGOT winners
Sir Elton John
Last night, John took home the outstanding variety special (live) Emmy for Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium. That Emmy joined his five Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award, two best original song Oscars for Can You Feel the Love Tonight? and (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again and one best original score Tony for Aida to complete his EGOT status.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg joined the EGOT crew in 2002 when she was awarded a best musical Tony for Thoroughly Modern Milly. She’s also won two Emmys for Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel and The View, a best comedy recording Grammy for Whoopi Goldberg – Original Broadway Show Recording and an Oscar for Ghost.
John Gielgud
John Gielgud was 87 years old when he stepped into the hallowed ranks of EGOT-hood, winning an Emmy for Summer’s Lease in 1991. He’d previously won three Tony Awards: a best supporting actor Oscar for Arthur and a Grammy for Ages of Man – Recordings from Shakespeare.
Getty ImagesAudrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn became an EGOT winner more than 40 years after taking home her first major award in 1953, the best actress Oscar for her role in Roman Holiday. In 1994, her Grammy win for Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales posthumously elevated her to EGOT status, joining her Emmy Award for Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn and her best actress Tony Award for Ondine.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis became an EGOT winner in 2023 when she snagged a Grammy Award for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording for Finding Me, her memoir. Her Emmy came from her work in How to Get Away with Murder, and her Oscar was awarded for her role in Fences. She has two Tonys: one for King Hedley II, and one for the 2010 Broadway revival of Fences.
Getty ImagesJennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson stepped into her EGOT title with a 2022 best musical Tony win for A Strange Loop, coming in quickly after her 2021 Emmy win for Baba Yaga. Hudson took home her Oscar and Grammy wins in years prior: an Oscar for Dreamgirls in 2006, and two Grammy wins, for albums Jennifer Hudson and The Color Purple in 2009 and 2017.
Alan Menken
Beloved composer Alan Menken became an EGOT legend in 2020 when he was awarded an Emmy for the song Waiting in the Wings from Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. He has a staggering number of total award wins with eight Oscars and 11 Grammys across his career, many of both for the music in classic Disney films like The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. He has one Tony Award: best original score, for 2012’s Newsies.
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks became an EGOT winner in 2001, with three Tony Awards for The Producers in the same night. His previous awards included four Emmys for television work including Mad About You, a best original screenplay Oscar for The Producers and a best spoken-comedy Grammy for The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000.
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols also became an EGOT winner in 2001, an illustrious year for this highest of honours. He took home his Emmy last, finally winning two in the same night for Wit in 2001, and had previously won a best comedy performance Grammy for An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May, a best director Oscar for The Graduate and six Tony Awards for shows like Annie and The Prisoner of Second Avenue. Since achieving EGOT status, he went on to win another two Tony Awards for Monty Python’s Spamalot and Death of a Salesman, and two additional Emmys for Angels in America.
Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers was the very first EGOT winner, landing the title in 1962 with his outstanding achievement in original music composed for television Emmy win for Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years. He also won a best original score Tony, and a best show album Grammy for No Strings that year. He had won a best song Oscar for It Might as Well be Spring from State Fair in 1945.
Getty ImagesAndrew Lloyd Webber
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s EGOT came through with the 2018 Emmy win for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. His Oscar was awarded for the song You Must Love Me in Evita, and he had previously won four Grammy Awards, including a Legend Award – plus six Tony Awards for shows such as Evita, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.
Robert Lopez
Ropert Lopez has the special distinction of being the youngest EGOT winner in history, earning the title the age of 39 after winning a 2014 Oscar for the song Let It Go in Frozen. He had previously won two Emmys for Wonder Pets!, three Grammys for The Book of Mormon and Frozen as well as three Tonys for Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon.
Scott Rudin
Producer Scott Rudin completed the “G” in his EGOT in 2012, winning an original Broadway cast recording Grammy for The Book of Mormon. This joined his He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’ Emmy, his best picture Oscar for No Country for Old Men and his 18 Tony Awards for shows including Doubt, Fences and Hello, Dolly!
Tim Rice
Tim Rice cemented his EGOT status with an outstanding variety special (live) Emmy Award in 2012, awarded for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. His previous awards included three Oscar wins, three Tony wins and five Grammy wins for his music from the films Aladdin, The Lion King and the 1996 Evita as well as the musicals Aida and Evita.
Getty ImagesRita Moreno
West Side Story star Rita Moreno became an EGOT winner with her 1977 Emmy for The Muppet Show, an award that joined her best recording for children Grammy for The Electric Company, her best featured actress in a play Tony Award for The Ritz and her best actress in a supporting role Oscar – for, of course, West Side Story. Moreno later won a second Emmy award just the next year for her role in The Rockford Files.
Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick joined the growing group of EGOT-winning composers in 1997, when he won a best orchestrations Tony Award for Titanic. He’d previously won one of each of the other major awards: a musical direction Emmy for 1982’s Night of 100 Stars, an instrumental arrangement accompanying vocal(s) Grammy for No One Is Alone, and a best adaptation score Oscar for A Little Night Music.
Marvin Hamlisch
In 1995, frequent Barbra Streisand collaborator Marvin Hamlisch picked up the Richard Rodgers mantle and became the second composer with an EGOT status. He won two Emmys for Barbra: The Concert that year, adding on to his four Grammys for The Way We Were and The Entertainer, his three Oscars for The Way We Were and The Sting and his 1976 best original score Tony for A Chorus Line. He went on to win two more Emmys: one for AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies and one for Timeless: Live in Concert.
John Legend
In 2018, John Legend could officially call himself an EGOT, taking home the Emmy for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert to add to his Tony for Jitney, his Oscar for the song Glory in the film Selma and his 12 Grammy wins, including best new artist in 2006, best R&B album for Get Lifted and Wake Up and best male R&B vocal performance for Ordinary People and Heaven.
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes became the first woman to achieve EGOT status with her spoken word Grammy win for Great American Documents in 1977. She had previously won two best actress Oscars for The Sin of Madelon Claudet and Airport, two best actress Tony Awards for Happy Birthday and Time Remembered, and an Emmy for her role on Schlitz Playhouse of Stars. She later won one more Tony Award: the Lawrence Langner award in 1980.