These Are The Only Stars To Have Ever Won The Most Coveted Award In Showbiz

There are four awards that truly matter in the American entertainment world: the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and the Tonys. To win just one is a mark of prestige and a rare milestone for any performer. But imagine being so talented that you managed to bag all four of them? Well, it turns out there’s a special term this elusive trophy set: the EGOT. Only 16 elite stars have ever won it, while a further five have gained the title through honorary awards. So, who were they? Read on and find out.

Richard Rodgers

The very first person to win the EGOT was beloved composer Richard Rodgers. Alongside his lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, he bagged his first in the set in 1946 when his composition “It Might As Well Be Spring” earned an Academy Award. Following this, the pair’s musicals South Pacific and The Sound of Music added Tonys and Grammys to their collection as well.

Rodgers was best known for collaborating with Hammerstein, but it would be the composer alone who’d complete the EGOT. After his partner’s death, the musician took home an Emmy in 1962 for his solo work on Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years. Considering the accomplishment was the first of its kind, we wonder if Rodgers really knew the significance of his win?

Helen Hayes

It would take 15 years from the first EGOT win for another star to complete the feat. That honor would fall to actress Helen Hayes, who completed her collection with a Grammy in 1977. For the actress – having picked up her first gong in 1932 – this was an accomplishment almost 50 years in the making.

After gaining an Oscar for The Sins of Madelon Claudet, Hayes won a Tony for Happy Birthday in 1947. Over the next 30 years, the star earned an Emmy in 1953 as well as another Oscar and Tony before finally getting her Grammy. By the time she joined this elusive club, Hayes had reached the grand old age of 77.

Rita Moreno

In 1977 we saw not one, but two stars reach EGOT status! One of the personalities was singer and actress Rita Moreno, who picked up an Emmy that year for The Muppets Show. And with an Oscar, a Tony and a Grammy already under her belt, this put the Puerto Rican star in Hollywood’s most prestigious club.

Moreno’s first award came in 1962 when she won Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story. In this role, Moreno demonstrated her capabilities as both an actress and singer – talents that would help her win a Grammy for The Electric Company in 1972. Three years later, she’d grab a Tony for The Ritz before finally completing the set with an Emmy.

Barbra Streisand

In just seven years, this versatile musician and actor took home all four trophies. Yet while this is a remarkable accomplishment, Streisand isn’t technically in the same league as other winners. But perhaps the reason why stands to confirm just how talented this performer really is.

Between 1963 and ’69 Streisand won three Grammys, two Oscars and one Emmy for both her solo shows and film Funny Girl. For that alone, the Tonys gave Streisand a special Star of the Decade award in 1970. Because this was a non-competitive award, though, some argue that it doesn’t count in the same way. But an EGOT is just that if you ask us!

Liza Minnelli

You might be shocked when you learn quite how young Liza Minnelli was when she began her journey to EGOT status. The budding star became the youngest woman to ever win a Tony with her role in Flora, the Red Menace at just 19. And before she hit 30, Minnelli had scored an Oscar and an Emmy for Cabaret and Liza with a “Z” respectively.

Though it would take the voracious performer two more decades to complete the set with an honorary Grammy Legend award in 1990. In that time, though, Minnelli won two more Tonys – including a special gong for Liza at the Winter Garden. Less prestigious was the Razzie she won in 1988 for Arthur 2 and Rent-a-cop – giving her the slightly less desirable REGOT accolade!

John Gielgud

As actors go, there are few who have been as widely praised as John Gielgud. Lauded for his Shakespearean roles, the thespian actually earned his first award for Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Premiering in 1948, the play gained Gielgud a Tony – his first of three that also included a win for directing.

Four decades after this first win, Gielgud’s interpretations of the Bard were rewarded when the spoken word album Ages of Man received a Grammy in 1980. Just two years later, Gielgud added an Oscar to his shelf for his role in Arthur. Finally, the dramatist completed the EGOT with an Emmy for Summer Lease in 1992.

James Earl Jones

Sure, James Earl Jones is remembered by many of us as the voice of Darth Vader thanks to his silky baritone. But he is primarily a theater actor. And over a 60-year career the star has received numerous accolades for his work. In that time, he won Tonys for The Great White Hope in 1969 and Fences 18 years later. Plus, he gained a lifetime achievement Tony in 2017.

Outside of Broadway, Jones has been equally rewarded for his work. Along with fellow EGOT-winner Helen Hayes, the star earned a Grammy for Great American Documents in 1977. Then 14 years later he gained not one, but two Emmys for roles in Heat Wave and Gabriel’s Fire. Finally, an honorary Oscar in 2012 would bring Jones to EGOT status.

Audrey Hepburn

An actress of exceedingly rare talents, Audrey Hepburn is one of cinema’s most iconic stars. And in 1954 aged just 24, her status as a screen legend was all but secured when she swept the Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes for her role in Roman Holiday. To top that off, the British actress won a Tony for Ondine that same year, too.

The years following that breakthrough saw Hepburn build on her charisma with roles in the likes of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Though while the actress would eventually reach EGOT status, she sadly passed away before reaching this milestone. Following her 1993 death, Hepburn posthumously won an Emmy, a Grammy and an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work.

Marvin Hamlisch

Marvin Hamlisch’s own success was closely linked to fellow EGOT-winner Barbara Streisand. In 1974 the musician earned two Oscars for his work on Streisand’s The Way We Were. The following year, he’d go one to win four Grammys – one of which was for the film’s title song. Hamlisch would then score an Emmy 20 years later for his collaboration on Barbra: The Concert.

Hamlisch also reaped great praise for his own projects. And rightly so, too! The composer’s 1975 Broadway production A Chorus Line won not only a Tony, but the Pulitzer Prize as well. So synonymous did Hamlisch become with prestige that an International Music Award ceremony was named in his honor in 2019 seven years after his death.

Jonathan Tunick

Have you ever heard of Jonathan Tunick? Don’t worry if you haven’t, as he’s mostly known in the musical theater world. In fact, he is perhaps one of the most important figures working in Broadway. For his work on Titanic in 1997, Tunick became the first orchestrator to earn a Tony. And his masterful arrangements would receive seven more nominations over the next 10 years.

Over Tunick’s extensive career he has also collaborated with Steven Sondheim 11 times, which has led to innumerable successes. For instance, his work on A Little Night Music in 1977 and Into the Woods 11 years later garnered an Oscar and a Grammy respectively. Capping the quartet off, Tunick’s musical direction for TV’s Night of 100 Stars in 1982 resulted in an Emmy.

Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks has been making people laugh for nearly eight decades. Starting his career in earnest on television, the humorist presided over shows like Get Smart and won an Emmy for a variety special in 1967. But it wasn’t until his film debut The Producers that Brooks’ became a superstar of the comedy world.

Lauded with an Oscar for Best Screenplay, The Producers made Brooks Hollywood royalty. And subsequent hits like Blazing Saddles further cemented his reputation. In his later years, Brooks returned to the comedy routines of his earlier days – gaining a Grammy in 1999 along the way. He’d also turn his groundbreaking feature debut into a hit Broadway musical leading to three Tony wins in 2001.

Mike Nichols

With a career in many disciplines, Mike Nichols was a natural fit for EGOT success. His first foray into showbusiness was as a comedic performer and alongside Elaine May he won a Grammy for his act in 1962. Yet while Nichols began in front of the audience, he may be best known for his work offstage.

Just one year after his Grammy win, the multi-disciplined entertainer hit Broadway and took home a Tony – his first of seven – for his directorial debut Barefoot in the Park. Soon after, Nichols transferred his skills to the screen and earned an Oscar for directing 1967’s The Graduate. After winning so much in a five-year span, Nichols finally capped out his EGOT five decades later with an Emmy for 2001’s Wit.

Whoopi Goldberg

Sometimes it takes talent to spot talent. And early on in her career, future EGOT-winner Whoopi Goldberg received a helping hand from fellow-alum Mike Nichols. On the back of the director’s help, the performer took her production The Spook Show to Broadway in 1984. Through that, she earned a Grammy and a leg-up into film stardom as a result.

Following acclaimed roles in the likes of The Color Purple, Goldberg won for Ghost at the 1991 Academy Awards and returned to the ceremony three times as a presenter. In later years, the performer would focus on hosting shows like The View. But she’d still win a Tony and Emmy in 2002 for performances in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Beyond Tara.

Scott Rudin

With 12 Tony Awards to his name, Scott Rudin may be one of the most decorated theater producers in the biz. Starting out as a casting agent in the 1970s, this behind-the-scenes player gained his first Tony in 1994 for Passion. Later, his work with The Book of Mormon resulted in a Grammy in 2012.

Off the stage, Rudin has had numerous successes in the world of television and film production as well. In 1984 he landed an Emmy for He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’ before launching a phenomenal career in Hollywood. This came to a head in 2008 when his production of No Country for Old Men took home the Oscar for Best Picture.

Robert Lopez

If the name Robert Lopez doesn’t mean anything to you, then perhaps you’ll be able to place him with just three words: “let,” “it,” “go.” Yep, alongside his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the musician composed Frozen’s songbook of smash hits. And that’s not all! Some of his more notable works include the musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon.

Of course, with a resume as chock full of hits as Lopez’s, it’s only natural that he’s received his fair share of accolades. In 2004 the composer earned his first Tony for Avenue Q and an Emmy for Wonder Pets! four years later. After The Book of Mormon’s opening night in 2011, Lopez gained two more Tonys and a Grammy before Frozen completed the EGOT with an Oscar in 2014.

Harry Belafonte

Introduced to most audiences through 1954’s Carmen Jones, Harry Belafonte quickly became a star of the music world. Thanks to his adoption of calypso, the performer would score 11 Grammy nominations over his lifetime. He also gained accolades from the Tonys and Emmys with wins for John Murray Anderson’s Almanac in 1954 and The Revlon Revue six years later.

But Belafonte’s endeavors extend beyond the entertainment world. He is also known for his activism work, too. And he’d incorporate his political message into his art with positive effect. Alongside Miriam Makeba, the singer received a Grammy for 1965’s An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba. Fifty years later he was also presented with an honorary Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Oscar in tribute to his work and activism.

Quincy Jones

Every talented singer needs an equally gifted producer working their magic behind the scenes. And for many performers, that person is Quincy Jones. Perhaps best known for his work with Michael Jackson, the former was nominated at the Grammys a dizzying 79 times between 1961 and 2019. Out of all those nominations, Jones walked away successful on 27 occasions.

Owing to his reputation in the recording arts, Jones has also been asked to contribute to other forms of media. For that, he has secured Emmy and Tony wins for the score to Roots in 1977 and the production of 2016’s The Color Purple. A Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars completed Jones’ EGOT status in 1996.

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber

How does one get to EGOT status? Well, penning some of the most successful Broadway musicals is a good start! Since staging his first musical in 1968, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has scribed such high-grossing hits as Cats and Evita. His show The Phantom of the Opera is even the second biggest-selling musical of all time, according to Classic FM.

Throughout his career, Lloyd Webber has also taken home his fair share of trophies. For his work, the composer has won seven Tonys and three Grammys – taking home the first two for Evita in 1980. Besides these gongs, Webber also earned an Oscar in 1996 and an Emmy for his 2018 televised version of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

Tim Rice

He may be best known for his collaborations with Webber, but lyricist Tim Rice has a set of incredible credits to call his own. After inking the words to shows like Evita, the writer provided lyrics for Disney hits Aladdin and The Lion King. Alongside Elton John, Rice adapted the latter into a stage musical. And it would eventually become the highest-growing show of all time, according to Playbill.

Naturally, Rice has been amply honored for his productions. And the lyricist reached EGOT status in 2018 with an Emmy for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Before that, he gained Tonys for Evita and Aida, three Grammys for Aladdin alone and three Oscars for multiple films including The Lion King.

John Legend

One of the newest performers to gain an EGOT, John Legend had swept all four awards by only his 40th birthday! His road to victory began in 2006 when the singer won three Grammys for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best New Artist and Best R&B Album. Over the following years, he’d go on to earn another seven trophies from the prestigious ceremony.

The artist would gain more industry recognition as he began branching out of pop music in the following decade. Legend’s song “Glory” – which he wrote and performed with rapper Common for the film Selma – would bag him an Oscar in 2015. And the next three years would result in the talent winning a Tony and Emmy for Jitney and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

Alan Menken

Alan Menken just might have the most jam-packed trophy cabinet of all the EGOT stars. First coming to the spotlight with Little Shop of Horrors in the 1980s, the composer subsequently began collaborating with Disney. And his scores for the likes of Beauty and the Beast turned him into an award show mainstay.

Since working on 1989’s The Little Mermaid, Menken has been honored with 11 Grammys, eight Oscars and seven Golden Globes. But when he’s not scoring Disney classics, the musician has also composed stage productions like Newsies, which took home a Tony in 2012. And after winning an honorary Emmy in 1990, Menken won a competitive trophy in 2020 for Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.