All 18 EGOT Winners, From Richard Rodgers to Viola Davis

Emmy. Grammy. Oscar. Tony. Only 18 artists in history have won all four prized awards and thus, become EGOT winners. Some of these artists achieved their status solely working under one profession, while others wore a variety of hats, performing as an actor, singer, dancer, and/or songwriter.

Composer Richard Rodgers became the first EGOT winner in 1962. Most recently, actor Viola Davis became the sixth woman to earn EGOT status after winning a 2023 Grammy Award. Here are all the EGOT winners from Rodgers to Davis.

Richard Rodgers

Achieved EGOT status in 1962

• Emmy (1962):Outstanding Achievement in Original Music, Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
• Grammy (1960, 1962): Best Original Cast Show Album, The Sound of Music; Best Original Cast Show Album, No Strings
• Oscar (1945): Best Original Song, “It Might as Well Be Spring”
• Tony (1950, 1952, 1960, 1962): Best Musical, Score and Producers, Musical, South Pacific; Best Musical, The King and I; Best Musical, The Sound of Music; Best Composer, No Strings

Before EGOT was a coveted acronym, New York City composer Richard Rodgers (of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame) was the first to attain the status. Composing mainly for musical comedies, Rodgers was famous for his collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. His musical output was prolific: By the end of his career, Rodgers produced 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs, making him one of the most consequential composers of his time with an enormous influence on pop music. Rodgers also managed to win a Pulitzer for his work in South Pacific, so he’s often referred to as a PEGOT. (Marvin Hamlisch is the only other person to have mirrored the same award wins).

Helen Hayes

Achieved EGOT status in 1977

• Emmy (1953): Best Actress, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
• Grammy (1977): Best Spoken Word Album, Great American Documents
• Oscar (1932, 1970): Best Actress, The Sin of Madelon Claudet; Best Supporting Actress, Airport
• Tony (1947, 1958): Best Actress, Dramatic, Happy Birthday; Best Actress, Dramatic, Time Remembered

Called the “First Lady of the American Theatre,” Helen Hayes is considered one of the most highly-regarded actresses of the stage. Her career lasted over 80 years and included film, television, and radio. Launching her career at age five, Hayes made her Broadway debut three years later and didn’t stop working until age 85. Her indelible impact on theatre is exemplified through the Helen Hayes Awards and Broadway’s Little Theatre being renamed in her honor.

Rito Moreno

Achieved EGOT status in 1977

• Emmy (1977, 1978): Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music, The Muppet Show; Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series, The Rockford Files
• Grammy (1972): Best Recording for Children, The Electric Company
• Oscar (1962): Best Supporting Actress, West Side Story
• Tony (1975): Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Play, The Ritz

While it took Hayes about 45 years to become an EGOT winner, actress, singer, and dancer Rita Moreno took just 16 to achieve hers, and it was all thanks to her guest appearance on The Muppet Show in 1977. Along with Hayes, Moreno is the only other female to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting (winning a competitive Oscar, Emmy and Tony in the acting categories), and like her predecessor, she has proven longevity in her career. Spanning over 70 years, Moreno’s body of work was topped off in 2019 with yet another accolade: She became the first Latina to earn a Peabody.

Audrey Hepburn

Achieved EGOT status in 1994

• Emmy (1993): Outstanding Individual Achievement in Informational Programming, Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn
• Grammy (1994): Best Spoken Word Album for Children, Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales
• Oscar (1954): Best Actress, Roman Holiday
• Tony (1954): Best Actress in a Play, Ondine

Audrey Hepburn wasn’t too far along in her acting career when she won the role that put her on the map: playing Princess Ann in Roman Holiday (1953). Hollywood and the rest of the world were so taken with her that she won not only an Academy Award but also a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA for her role, making her the first actress to win all three for a single performance. Although she’d go on to have an enviable career, starring in classics like Sabrina (1954), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964), Hepburn would never be able to bask in her EGOT achievement. Hers would arrive in 1994—one year after she died from cancer—making her the first person to become an EGOT posthumously.

Mel Brooks

Achieved EGOT status in 2001

• Emmy (1967, 1997-1999): Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety, The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special; Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, Mad About You
• Grammy (1998, 2002): Best Spoken Comedy Album, The 2000 Year Old Man; Best Long Form Music Video, The Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks; Beat Musical Show Album, The Producers
• Oscar (1969): Best Screenplay, The Producers
• Tony (2001): Best Musical, Book and Score, The Producers

After writing for TV variety shows in the 1950s, Mel Brooks went on to have a successful career in television before moving to the big screen. As a director, his films were some of the biggest box office draws of the 1960s and ’70s, including classics like The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), and High Anxiety (1977). Brooks’ work on stage was one of his biggest achievements. His Broadway adaptation of The Producers (2001-2007) broke records, winning 12 Tony Awards in total—the most in history.

Mike Nichols

Achieved EGOT status in 2001

• Emmy (2001, 2004): Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special and Made for Television Movie, Wit; Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special and Outstanding Miniseries, Angels in America
• Grammy (1961): Best Comedy Performance, An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May
• Oscar (1968): Best Director,The Graduate
• Tony (1964, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1977, 1984, 2005, 2012): Best Director, Dramatic, Barefoot in the Park, Luv, The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite, The Prisoner of Second Avenue; Best Musical, Annie; Best Director, Play and Play; The Real Thing; Best Director, Musical, Monty Python’s Spamalot; Best Director, Play; Death of a Salesman

Director, actor, and comedian Mike Nichols was known for his versatility and talent for genre-hopping. Whether he was acting in comedic improv or directing plays, comedies, and dramas, Nichols’ output was impressive. On Broadway alone, he directed and produced over 25 plays. Among his best-known films, he directed Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and The Graduate (1967), the latter of which was his ticket to winning an Oscar. Still, it would take him four decades to take a bow as an EGOT.

Whoopi Goldberg

Achieved EGOT status in 2002

• Emmy (2002, 2009): Outstanding Class Special, Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel; Outstanding Talk Show Host, The View
• Grammy (1986): Best Comedy Recording, Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show
• Oscar (1990): Best Supporting Actress, Ghost
• Tony (2002): Best Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Interestingly enough, it was Nichols who discovered Whoopi Goldberg, who went on to celebrate her own EGOT distinction just a year after him. Although the actress and comedian is known more for being a television personality on The View these days, Goldberg has had an illustrious career long before she took a seat on the talk show. Known for her award-winning roles in The Color Purple (1985) and Ghost (1990), the latter of which she won an Oscar for, Goldberg moved into the next decade with a slew of additional box office hits, including Sister Act (1992), Made in America (1993), The Lion King (1994), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998).

Robert Lopez

Achieved EGOT status in 2014

• Emmy (2008, 2010): Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition, Wonder Pets!
• Grammy (2012, 2015): Best Musical Theater Album, The Book of Mormon; Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Frozen; Best Song Written for Visual Media, Coco
• Oscar (2014, 2018): Best Original Song “Let It Go;” Best Song “Remember Me”
• Tony (2004, 2011): Best Original Score, Avenue Q; Best Book of a Musical and Original Score, Book of Mormon

From irreverent muppets and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to blockbuster Disney animation, songwriter Robert Lopez is an EGOT artist of many firsts. As co-creator of the Broadway smash hits Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, as well as a composer for Disney’s Frozen (2013) and Coco (2017), Lopez became the youngest EGOT in history at age 39 and also the fastest, achieving his membership into the club in just 10 years. The award-winning composer, who is married to acclaimed songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez, broke another record in 2018 when he became the first and only EGOT who has won each award more than once.

John Legend

Achieved EGOT status in 2018

• Emmy (2018, 2019): Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert; Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program, Crow: The Legend
• Grammy (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2020): Best New Artist; Best R&B Album, Get Lifted; Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, “Ordinary People;” Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, “Heaven;” Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, “Family Affair;” Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, “Stay with Me (By the Sea);” Best R&B Song, “Shine;” Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, “Hang on in There;” Best R&B Album, Wake Up!; Best Song Written for Visual Media, “Glory;” Best Rap/Sung Performance, “Higher”
• Oscar (2015): Best Song “Glory,” Selma
• Tony (2017): Best Revival of a Play, Jitney

Following in Lopez’s shoes, singer, songwriter, producer, and actor John Legend also won his EGOT at age 39, becoming the second-youngest member and the first Black man ever to join the club. His 2018 Emmy win for Jesus Christ Superstar not only cemented his status but also the EGOT statuses of co-producers Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber. Legend is not new to garnering accolades. In total, he’s been nominated 88 times for a variety of distinguished awards and won 33—10 of which are Grammys.

Other EGOT Winners

John Gielgud

Achieved EGOT status in 1991

• Emmy (1991): Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special, Summer’s Lease
• Grammy (1979): Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording, Ages of Man
• Oscar (1981): Best Supporting Actor, Arthur
• Tony (1948, 1961): Outstanding Foreign Company, The Importance of Being Earnest; Best Director of a Drama, Big Fish, Little Fish

Marvin Hamlisch

Achieved EGOT Status in 1995

• Emmy (1995, 1999, 2001): Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction, Barbra: The Concert; Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics, Barbra: The Concert; Outstanding Music and Lyrics, AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies; Outstanding Music Direction, Timeless: Live in Concert
• Grammy (1974): Song of the Year, “The Way We Were;” Best New Artist of the Year; Best Pop Instrumental Performance, “The Entertainer;” Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, The Way We Were
• Oscar (1973): Best Music, Original Dramatic Score, The Way We Were; Best Music, Original Song, “The Way We Were;” Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation, The Sting
• Tony (1976): Best Musical Score, A Chorus Line

Jonathan Tunick

Achieved EGOT status in 1997

• Emmy (1982): Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction, Night of 100 Stars
• Grammy (1988): Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals, “No One is Alone”
• Oscar (1977): Best Music, Original Song Score and Best Adaptation Score, A Little Night Music
• Tony (1997): Best Orchestrations, Titanic

Scott Rudin

Achieved EGOT status in 2012

• Emmy (1984): Outstanding Children’s Program, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’
• Grammy (2012): Best Musical Theater Album, The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording
• Oscar (2008): Best Picture, No Country For Old Men
• Tony (1994, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009-2012, 2014-17, 2019): Rudin’s won 17 Tonys for shows such as Passion, The Book of Mormon, Death of a Salesman and Hello, Dolly!

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Achieved EGOT status in 2018

• Emmy (2018): Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
• Grammy (1980, 1983, 1986): Best Cast Show Album, Evita; Best Cast Show Album, Cats; Best Contemporary Composition, Requiem
• Oscar (1997): Best Original Song, “You Must Love Me”
• Tony (1980, 1983, 1988, 1995): Best Original Score, Evita; Best Musical, Cats; Best Original Score, Cats; Best Musical, The Phantom of the Opera; Best Musical, Sunset Boulevard; Best Original Score, Sunset Boulevard

Tim Rice

Achieved EGOT status in 2018

• Emmy (2018): Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
• Grammy (1980, 1993, 2000): Best Cast Show Album, Evita; Song of the Year, “A Whole New World;” Best Musical Album for Children, Aladdin – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, “A Whole New World;” Best Musical Show Album, Aida
• Oscar (1993, 1995, 1997): Best Original Song, “A Whole New World;” Best Original Song, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight;” Best Original Song, “You Must Love Me”
• Tony (1980, 2000): Best Original Score, Evita; Best Book of a Musical, Evita; Best Original Score, Aida

Alan Menken

Achieved EGOT status in 2020

• Emmy (2020): Outstanding Original Song in a Children’s, Young Adult or Animated Program, “Waiting in the Wings”
• Grammy (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2012): Best Recording for Children, Little Mermaid; Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, “Under the Sea;” Best Musical Album for Children, Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, Beauty and the Beast; Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, “Beauty and the Beast;” Song of the Year, Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television “A Whole New World;” Best Musical Album for Children, Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television, Aladdin; Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, “Colors of the Wind;” Best Song Written for Visual Media, “I See the Light”
• Oscar (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995): Best Original Score, The Little Mermaid; Best Original Song, “Under the Sea;” Best Original Score, Beauty and the Beast; Best Original Song, “Beauty of the Beast;” Best Original Score, Aladdin; Best Original Song, “A Whole New World;” Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, Pocahontas; Best Original Song, “Colors of the Wind”
• Tony (2012): Best Original Score, Newsies

Jennifer Hudson

Achieved EGOT status in 2022

• Emmy (2021): Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program, “Baba Yaga”
• Grammy (2009, 2017): Best R&B Album, Jennifer Hudson;Best Musical Theater Album, The Color Purple
• Oscar (2007):Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Dreamgirls
• Tony (2022): Best Musical, A Strange Loop

Viola Davis

Achieved EGOT status in 2023

• Emmy (2015): Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, How to Get Away With Murder
• Grammy (2023): Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, Finding Me
• Oscar (2017):Actress in a Supporting Role, Fences
• Tony (2001, 2010):Actress (Featured Role–Play), King Hedley II; Actress (Play), Fences