Sir Elton John, the legendary singer-songwriter, has achieved the rare feat of winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award (collectively known as the EGOT), becoming the 19th person overall and the first British musician to attain this status. These awards honour exceptional achievements in television, recording, film, and Broadway theatre, respectively, and achieving the EGOT has been referred to as the “grand slam” of American showbiz.
He completed his EGOT collection by winning the Emmy for outstanding variety special (live) for his show Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium. He had previously won five Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award, two Oscars for best original song, and a Tony for best original score. Elton John is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful artists of all time, with more than 300 million records sold worldwide.
KnowALLedge Plus:
>In 1962, Richard Rodgers became the first person to win all four awards.
>In 1977, Helen Hayes became the second person and first woman to win all four awards.
>In 1977, Rita Moreno became the third person and first Hispanic American to win all four awards.
>In 1991, John Gielgud became the fourth person to win all four awards, the oldest (at age 87), the first LGBTQIA+ person, and the first non-American.
>In 1994, Audrey Hepburn became the fifth person to win all four awards, and the first to do so posthumously.
Here’s a complete list of all 19 EGOT winners:
Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, John Gielgud, Audrey Hepburn, Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson, Alan Menken, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Richard Rodgers, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Robert Lopez, Scott Rudin, Tim Rice, Rita Moreno, Jonathan Tunick, Marvin Hamlisch, John Legend, Helen Hayes.