Steven Spielberg has become the latest member of the most exclusive club in show business, per the-independent.com. By winning a Grammy this week, the legendary filmmaker secured the “EGOT” quartet: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
The term was coined in 1984 by Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas, who famously wore a gold EGOT pendant despite never being nominated for any of the awards. While Thomas’s dream faltered, the acronym entered the cultural zeitgeist via the sitcom 30 Rock and has since become the gold standard for versatile talent.
Following his win for Best Music Film for the documentary Music by John Williams, Spielberg becomes the 22nd person to complete the set.
Here are the icons who paved the way.
The Pioneers
1. Richard Rodgers (1962): The first to achieve the feat. The composer’s haul included an Oscar for State Fair and multiple Tonys for classics like The Sound of Music.
2. Helen Hayes (1977): The “First Lady of American Theatre” was the first woman to win all four, completing the set 45 years after her first Oscar.
3. Rita Moreno (1977): The West Side Story star became the first Latina winner, famously clinching her EGOT with an appearance on The Muppet Show.
4. John Gielgud (1991): The British acting titan was the first non-American to join the club, winning his final Emmy at age 87.
5. Audrey Hepburn (1994): Hepburn achieved EGOT status posthumously; her Emmy and Grammy were awarded after her death in 1993.
Creative Powerhouses
6. Marvin Hamlisch (1995): The composer behind The Way We Were and A Chorus Line.
7. Jonathan Tunick (1997): A legendary orchestrator who completed the set with a Tony for Titanic.
8. Mel Brooks (2001): The comedy giant won three Tonys for the musical adaptation of The Producers to secure his spot.
9. Mike Nichols (2001): Best known for directing The Graduate, Nichols actually began his haul with a comedy Grammy in 1961.
10. Whoopi Goldberg (2002): The first Black winner. Goldberg famously joked on 30 Rock that even Daytime Emmys count because “a girl’s gotta eat.”
11. Scott Rudin (2012): The prolific producer holds a staggering 18 Tonys.
The Modern Era
12. Robert Lopez (2014): The Frozen songwriter is the youngest winner (aged 39) and the only person to achieve a “Double EGOT,” winning every award at least twice.
13. & 14. Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice (2018): The frequent collaborators finished their sets simultaneously with the TV special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
15. John Legend (2018): Legend made history as the first Black man to join the club.
16. Alan Menken (2020): The Disney maestro has eight Oscars but waited until 2020 to scoop an Emmy for Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.
17. Jennifer Hudson (2022): The American Idol alumna completed her set as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop.
18. Viola Davis (2023): Davis secured her place after winning a Grammy for the audiobook of her memoir, Finding Me.
19. Elton John (2024): Sir Elton joined the ranks following an Emmy win for his farewell concert at Dodger Stadium.
20. & 21. Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (2024): The La La Land songwriters are the fastest to achieve the feat, taking just seven years and seven months.
The Newest Member
22. Steven Spielberg (2026): Despite three Oscars and multiple Emmys for Band of Brothers and Animaniacs, the director lacked a Grammy. His 2026 win for producing the John Williams documentary finally closes the circle on one of the greatest careers in cinema history.
