After Winning an Emmy, Adele is a Tony Away From an EGOT

Adele is just one award — specifically a Tony award — away from the elite EGOT status. On Saturday, Adele won the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) Emmy for her CBS special, One Night Only. The musician, who already is the winner of numerous Grammy awards and the 2013 Oscar for Best Original Song, now needs only the Tony award to rank among the group of entertainers and artists to achieve all four awards. Currently, there are only 17 EGOT winners.

One Night Only aired November 14, 2021, and was Adele’s first live performance in six years. The special had a wildly successful night at the Creative Arts Emmys, taking home awards for all five categories it was nominated in: Outstanding Variety Special, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special, Outstanding Technical Direction/Camerawork for a Special, and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special.

Earlier this year, Jennifer Hudson officially reached EGOT status with a Tony award win for Best Musical for A Strange Loop, a musical for which Hudson serves as a producer. The win made Hudson the youngest ever female identifying EGOT winner, the third-ever Black EGOT winner and the third youngest overall. You can check out a current list of EGOT winners below.

Do you think Adele will go on to achieve EGOT status? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!

Richard Rodgers

A composure and producer, Rodgers was the first to achieve EGOT status in 1962 with his Emmy win for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composed — Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years. Rodgers won his Oscar in 1945, his first Tony in 1950, and his first Grammy in 1960.

Helen Hayes

Hayes achieved EGOT status in 1977 with a Grammy win for Best Spoken Word Recording — Great American Documents. She won her first Oscar in 1932, her first Tony in 1947, and her Emmy in 1953. Hayes is the first woman to achieve EGOT status.

Rita Moreno

Moreno also achieved EGOT status in 1977, winning her first Emmy for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music — The Muppet Show. She won her Oscar in 1961 for West Side Story, her Grammy in 1972, and her Tony in 1975. Moreno is the first Hispanic American to achieve EGOT status.

John Gielgud

Actor and theatre director Gielgud achieved EGOT status in 1991 with an Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special — Summer’s Lease. He won his first Tony award in 1948, his Grammy in 1979, and his Oscar in 1981. He holds the distinction of being the oldest EGOT winner, the first non-American, and the first LGBTQ+ winner.

Audrey Hepburn

Iconic actress Hepburn achieved EGOT status posthumously in 1994 — the first winner to do so — with a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children — Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales. She won her Oscar in 1953, her Tony in 1954, and her Emmy in 1993.

Marvin Hamlisch

Composer Hamlisch achieved EGOT status in 1995 with his first two Emmy wins, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics, both for Barbra: The Concert. He won his first Oscar in 1973, his first Grammy in 1974, and his Tony in 1976.

Jonathan Tunick

A composer, orchestrator, conductor, and music arranger, Tunick achieved EGOT status in 1997 with a Tony for Best Orchestrations — Titanic. He won his Oscar in 1977, his Emmy in 1982, and his Grammy in 1988.

Mel Brooks

The director, writer, actor, comedian, producer, and songwriter achieved EGOT status in 2001 with Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score, all for The Producers. He won his first Emmy in 1967, his Oscar in 1968, and his first Grammy in 1998.

Mike Nichols

Director, actor, and comedian Nichols achieved EGOT status in 2001 with Emmy awards Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special and Outstanding Made for Television Movie for Wit. Nichols has the distinction of the longest span of time between his awards when counting all awards. He won his Grammy in 1961, his first Tony in 1964, and his Oscar in 1967.

Whoopi Goldberg

Actress, comedian, and talk-show host Goldberg achieved EGOT status in 2002, winning Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Special Class Special — Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary life of Hattie McDaniel and a Tony for Best Musical — Thoroughly Modern Millie. Goldberg won her Grammy in 1986 and her Oscar in 1990. She is the first Black EGOT holder.

Scott Rudin

A film, TV, and theater producer, Rudin achieved EGOT status in 2012 with a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album — The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording. Rudin won his first Tony in 1994, his Emmy in 1984, and his Oscar in 2007.

Robert Lopez

Songwriter Lopez achieved EGOT status in 2014, the youngest to achieve the status as well as the fastest to do so in just 10 years. Lopez is also the first Asian American EGOT winner as well as the only person to achieve the status multiple times. Lopez first achieved the status with his Oscar for Best Original Song — “Let It Go” from Frozen. Lopez won his first Tony in 2004, his first Emmy in 2008, and his first Grammy in 2012.

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Musical theatre composer, songwriter, and producer, Webber achieved EGOT status in 2018 with the Emmy award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) — Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. He won his first Tony in 1980, his first Grammy in 1980, and his Oscar in 1996.

Tim Rice

Lyricist, librettist, and producer Rice achieved EGOT status in 2018 with the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) — Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. He won his first Tony in 1980, his first Grammy in 1980, and his first Oscar in 1992.

John Legend

Musician and producer Legend achieved EGOT status in 2018 with an Emmy win for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) — Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. He won his first Grammy in 2006, his Oscar in 2015, and his Tony in 2017. Legend has the distinction of being the first Black man to achieve EGOT status and also has the most Grammy wins of any other EGOT winner.

Alan Menken

A composer and songwriter, Menken achieved EGOT status in 2020 with the Emmy for Outstanding Original Song in a Children’s, Young Adult, or Animated Program — “Waiting in the Wings” from Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. He won his first Oscar in 1989, his first Grammy in 1991, and his Tony in 2012.

Jennifer Hudson

Singer, actress, and producer Hudson achieved EGOT status in 2022 with the Tony for Best Musical — A Strange Loop. She won her Oscar in 2006, her first Grammy in 2009, and her Emmy in 2021.