At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, Elton John made history by becoming an EGOT, the highest achievement a celebrity can accomplish. He became only the 19th person to acquire the accolade, adding to the list of decorated Hollywood and radio stars.
An EGOT is someone who has received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Few have achieved this, as it is rare for an artist to score such high recognition at each ceremony.
EGOT winners have ranged from singers, actors and composers. Many composers have won an EGOT for their work on scores across the entertainment industry. Other winners have dabbled in a little bit of everything, increasing their opportunities to win the highly regarded award. The award's long history has made it into the incredible feat people came to know.
The first EGOT winner was Richard Rodgers in 1962 when he received an Emmy for his compositions for "Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years," completing the infinity stones of the entertainment industry. He had previously won awards for his work on "South Pacific," “State Fair" and, most notably, "The Sound of Music." However, the EGOT received its title over two decades later.
In 1984, Philip Michael Thomas, an actor on "Miami Vice," coined the now widely used term. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Thomas shared his aspirations to win an award he called an "EGOT."
"(In January), I put a plan in motion, which I call 'EGOT," he explained to Entertainment Tonight. "And EGOT is 'E' for Emmy, 'G' for GRAMMY, 'O' for Oscar and 'T' for Tony. And I'm putting this on a five-year plan. I hope to win all of those in the next five years."
However, the "Miami Vice" star did not get lucky enough to share the title with the big leagues. The term was largely forgotten until Tina Fey's sitcom "30 Rock" popularized the sought-after title again.
Since then, people have continued to refer to the achievement as an EGOT. Many have come close to claiming the award, but few have succeeded. Some of the biggest names on the exclusive list include Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Andrew Lloyd Webber and John Legend.
It takes a lot of hard work and patience to achieve these awards. For example, Elton John has been waiting for the opportunity to receive his Emmy award for 24 years. Previously, John won a Grammy for "That's What Friends Are For," an Oscar for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and a Tony for "Aida." The "easiest" award to win, the Emmy, is ironically the one John received last.
As aforementioned, many come close to receiving the award. There are many potential EGOT candidates who are one award away from becoming one of the greats. Often, it is the Oscar that will keep people off the list. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hugh Jackman are just two examples of stars with quite the resume, yet they have not been awarded an Oscar.
On a similar note, there are six people who received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award, but they are not considered part of the official EGOT group. There is a similar recognition called a noncompetitive EGOT. This happens when an artist wins an award that is noncompetitive or honorary.
For example, Barbra Streisand, known for her role in "Funny Girl," is one person who won three of four of the accolades. Rather than an official award, Streisand was honored with a special award at the Tony Awards in 1970. Similar to Streisand, Liza Minnelli received a Legend Award at the Grammys. While it is not up to the same status as a traditional EGOT, it is still quite an exciting accomplishment.
It will be interesting to see who rounds out the 20th member of the exclusive EGOT group. With so many candidates, it may be challenging to predict what the next few award seasons will bring.
