Elton John is the latest member of the EGOT club, scoring his first Emmy for best variety special (live) for Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.
The musician's last Yellow Brick Road Tour performance in North America has been released in the Disney+ special. The tour started in 2018 and was scheduled to conclude in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be delayed like many other tours.
Since John couldn't make it to the show due to his knee surgery recovery, producer Ben Winston accepted the award in his stead.
Winston stated: "He’s absolutely fine, but he wanted to send his love and thanks to the Television Academy for this incredible award.
“We did know this was going to be historic because it was going to win a man who has created the soundtrack to all of our lives. He’s done so much great for society, who is all of our heroes. We didn’t know that it was going to win him an EGOT.”
Following Viola Davis' Grammy victory last year, who became the 18th EGOT winner, John is now the 19th celebrity to join the club.
But what is an EGOT and which celebrities are EGOT winners? Here's everything you need to know.
What is the EGOT club?
A person who has won each of the four major American entertainment prizes has an EGOT, which stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.
It has been said that winning the EGOT is the "grand slam" in American entertainment.
Although there are now 19 EGOT winners, the only double EGOT winner is Robert Lopez.
Which celebrities have got an EGOT?
Singer Elton John
John became the most recent EGOT winner at the postponed 2023 Emmys when he took home the Best Variety Special (Live) trophy for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
As well as this Emmy, he has won five Grammys (his first being for the song "That's What Friends Are For" from 1987), a Tony Award for best original score for Aida in 2000, and an Oscar for best original song in 1994 for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".
Actress Viola Davis
Davis earned the 18th EGOT in history with her Grammy award for the audio recording of her memoir Finding Me.
The 58-year-old's other awards include a two Tony Awards, the first for best featured actress in a play for King Hedley II in 2001 and another for best leading actress in a play for Fences in 2010. She would later win an Academy Award in 2017 for best supporting actress for the movie adaptation of Fences. She also received an Emmy in 2015 for How to Get Away With Murder.
Composer Richard Rodgers
With his Emmy win for Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years in 1962, Richard Rodgers became the first-ever EGOT winner.
And with "It Might As Well Be Spring" from State Fair, the famed composer (of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame) won the 1945 Oscar for Best Original Song, launching a run for an EGOT.
He would then get two Grammy awards for The Sound of Music in 1960 and No Strings in 1962, in addition to eight Tony wins for his work on musicals such as South Pacific and The King and I.
Actress Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes' first Oscar came in 1932 for The Sin of Madelon Claudet, and she would win another one for Airport in 1970.
For her role in Happy Birthday, she won a Tony in 1947. For Time Remembered, she won another in 1958. Although she won an Emmy for Best Actress in 1953, she wouldn't win a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Great American Documents until 1977.
Actress Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno only needed 16 years to obtain all four accolades.
She succeeded in winning an Emmy for her role on The Muppet Show; the next year, she would win a second for The Rockford Files.
She had won a Tony two years prior, in 1975, for her role as Googie Gomez in The Ritz, and three years prior, with The Electric Company, she had won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children. Her performance in West Side Story earned her an Oscar in 1961 for Best Supporting Actress.
Actor John Gielgud
This well-known British actor, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in Summer's Lease in 1991 at the age of 87, has the distinction of being the oldest EGOT winner to have won all of his awards.
With The Importance of Being Earnest, he won the first of his two Tony Awards in 1948, kickstarting his EGOT quest much earlier.
He won a Grammy in 1979 for Best Spoken Word Documentary or Drama Recording for Ages of Man. Three years later, in 1982, he was awarded a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the Dudley Moore masterpiece Arthur.
Actress Audrey Hepburn
Perhaps the most well known person on this list is Audrey Hepburn. Unfortunately, she made it onto the list after her death and, therefore, never got to celebrate.
She was honoured with the 1953 Best Actress Oscar for Roman Holiday and the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1954 for Ondine.
Following that, she was honoured with posthumous Grammy and Emmy Awards in 1993 and 1994 for Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales and Gardens of the World With Audrey Hepburn, respectively.
Composer Marvin Hamlisch
Blessed with perfect pitch, his talent is reflected in his awards.
He has four Grammy Awards (all won in 1974), four Emmy Awards, three Oscars (two for The Way We Were and one for The Sting), and one Tony (Best Musical Score for A Chorus Line).
Orchestrator Jonathan Tunick
There is exactly one award for Jonathan Tunick in each of the four categories.
For Night of 100 Stars, he won an Emmy for music direction and a Grammy for best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocals. He also bagged an Oscar for Best Original Score for A Little Night Music and a Tony for best orchestrations for Titanic.
Writer and director Mel Brooks
Over the years, Mel Brooks has garnered numerous accolades, such as three Tony Awards for The Producers, numerous Grammy Awards (including Best Spoken Comedy Album), numerous Emmys for his Mad About You guest star appearance, and an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers.
Director Mike Nichols
When Mike Nichols won an incredible two Emmys for his television film Wit in 2001, he was awarded the rare title.
Nine Tony Awards have been given to the director: Luv, The Odd Couple, Death of a Salesman, The Real Thing, Annie, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Monty Python's Spamalot, Plaza Suite, and Barefoot in the Park. Not only did he win an Oscar for directing The Graduate, but he also won numerous Emmys for his comedic roles in Wit and Angels in America, as well as a Grammy for An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May.
Actress Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg created history by being the first woman of Black descent to win an EGOT and the first person to win two awards in the same year.
In addition to winning an Emmy Award for Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel and a Tony Award for Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002, she also received a Grammy for Best Comedy Album and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Ghost. Oh, and in 2009, she was honoured with yet another Emmy for her work on The View.
Producer Scott Rudin
Scott Rudin's Tony list is too long to get through but includes Fences, The Book of Mormon, Doubt, and Death of a Salesman.
In the meantime, he won a Grammy for the Book of Mormon record, an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programme in 1984, and a Best Picture Oscar for No Country for Old Men in 2007.
Composer Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez is the man responsible for some of the biggest hits ever, including “Let It Go” from Frozen and “Remember Me” from Coco, each of which won him an Oscar.
Meanwhile, Lopez won Emmys for WandaVision and Wonder Pets! as well as Grammys for Frozen and The Book of Mormon, and not to mention Tonys for The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q.
Singer John Legend
John Legend has won plenty of Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album.
However, he really raised the bar when he was awarded Best Original Song for Selma's 'Glory'.
In addition, he won an Emmy for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert and a Tony for Jitney, making history as the second-youngest EGOT winner ever and the first Black man to do so.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Broadway great Andrew Lloyd Webber received numerous Grammys, Tony Awards, and an Oscar in 1996 for Evita.
2018 saw him win an EGOT with John Legend for his production work on Jesus Christ Superstar Live at the Creative Arts Emmys.
Composer Tim Rice
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber have worked together for a long period, and they have several accomplishments in common.
Thanks to Evita, he bagged a Tony, a Grammy, and an Oscar. He also won an Oscar for The Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and Aladdin's "A Whole New World". Rice also scored an Emmy for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
Composer Alan Menken
Alan Menken earned his EGOT title in 2012 with a Tony for Newsies, adding two Oscars and three Grammys to his amazing collection of victories for 1991's Beauty and the Beast.
Although he received a special Emmy Award in 1990, the large title only became somewhat official lately when he won an Emmy for best original song in a children's, young adult, or animated programme for Tangled: The Series at the 2020 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson, who co-produced A Strange Loop, won a Tony in 2022, earning her an EGOT.
The actress previously held two Grammys for her 2009 R&B album of the same name and the Broadway cast recording of The Colour Purple, a Daytime Emmy for her work as executive producer on Baba Yaga, and an Oscar for best supporting actress from Dreamgirls.
