The 10 youngest EGOT winners in history: Discover their stories
EGOT is a coveted status in show business, spanning television, film, theatre, and music. The term was popularized by actor Philip Michael Thomas in 1984 while he was starring in the series Miami Vice. Currently, the youngest EGOT winners are all above 39 years old.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- EGOT winners meaning
- The 10 youngest EGOT winners in history
- 10. Viola Davis at 57 years and 5 months
- 9. Scott Rudin at 53 years and 6 months
- 8. Marvin Hamlisch at 51 years and 3 months
- 7. Whoopi Goldberg at 46 years and 6 months
- 6. Rita Moreno at 45 years and 9 months
- 5. Jennifer Hudson at 40 years and 9 months
- 4. John Legend at 39 years and 8 months
- 3. Justin Paul at 39 years and 8 months
- 2. Benj Pasek at 39 years and 3 months old
- 1. Robert Lopez at 39 years and 1 week old
- FAQs
Richard Rodgers was the first person to achieve the EGOT milestone in 1962. Since then, several singers, actors, composers, performers, and filmmakers have joined the club. The youngest EGOT winners include stars like John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, and Robert Lopez.
EGOT winners meaning
An EGOT winner is someone who has won the four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy (for television), a Grammy (for music), an Oscar (for film), and a Tony (for theatre). According to the official Billboard site, there are only 21 competitive EGOT winners as of 2024.
The 10 youngest EGOT winners in history
All EGOT winners are known for their extraordinary achievements and their contributions to the arts. These are the top 10 youngest individuals to achieve such glory;
10. Viola Davis at 57 years and 5 months
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- Year achieved: February 5, 2023
- Period to reach EGOT: 22 years
- Profession: Actress, producer
- Date of birth: August 11, 1965
Viola Davis won her first Tony in 2001 for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in King Hedley II. She got her second Tony in 2010 for Best Leading Actress in a Play for Fences.
In 2015, the actress won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in How to Get Away with Murder. She later won her first Oscar in 2017 for Best Supporting Actress in the film adaptation of Fences.
Viola completed her EGOT status in 2023 with a Grammy for Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for her memoir Finding Me.
9. Scott Rudin at 53 years and 6 months
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- Year achieved: February 13, 2012
- Period to reach EGOT: 28 years
- Profession: Film, TV, and theatre producer
- Year of birth: July 14, 1958
According to Awards Watch, Scott Rudin won his first Emmy in 1984 for Outstanding Children's Program for He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin. In 1994, he took home his first Tony for Best Musical for Passion and has since won a total of 18 Tonys.
Rudin got his first Oscar in 2008 for Best Picture as a producer for the film No Country for Old Men. He clinched his EGOT in 2012 with a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album for The Book of Mormon. He is the first EGOT winner known for primarily being a producer.
8. Marvin Hamlisch at 51 years and 3 months
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- Year achieved: September 9, 1995
- Period to reach EGOT: 22 years
- Profession: Composer, conductor
- Year of birth: June 2, 1944
- Year of death: August 6, 2012 (68 years)
Marvin Hamlisch won his first major award in 1973 when he took home three Oscars in one night for his work on The Way We Were (Best Original Song), The Sting (Best Original Dramatic Score), and The Sting (Best Adaptation Score).
The late composer got his first Grammy in 1974 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for The Entertainer from The Sting. He went on to win three more Grammys.
In 1976, Marvin won a Tony for Best Musical Score for A Chorus. He completed his EGOT status in 1995 with a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics for the TV special Barbra: The Concert. He won a total of four Emmys.
7. Whoopi Goldberg at 46 years and 6 months
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- Year achieved: June 2, 2002
- Period to reach EGOT: 16 years
- Profession: Actress, comedian, author
- Year of birth: November 13, 1955
Whoopi Goldberg started her EGOT journey in 1986 after winning a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording for her album Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway. In 1991, she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Oda Mae Brown in the film Ghost.
The actress got her first Emmy in 2002 for Outstanding Special Class Special for Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel. Whoopi Goldberg later won two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her work on The View in 2009 and 2010.
She became an EGOT in June 2002 after winning a Tony for producing the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. Whoopi Goldberg was the first Black performer to achieve this milestone.
6. Rita Moreno at 45 years and 9 months
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- Year achieved: September 11, 1977
- Period to reach EGOT: 15 years
- Profession: Singer, actress, dancer
- Year of birth: December 11, 1931
Rita Moreno won her first Oscar in 1962 for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in the movie West Side Story. In 1972, she won a Grammy for the Cast Recording of the children's TV show The Electric Company.
Moreno won her first Tony in 1975 for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Googie Gomez in the Broadway play The Ritz. She joined the EGOT club when she won a Primetime Emmy in 1977 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her appearance on The Muppet Show.
Rita won her second Emmy in 1978 for her guest role on The Rockford Files in 1978. The Puerto Rican-born actress and singer was the first person of Latin origin to become an EGOT.
5. Jennifer Hudson at 40 years and 9 months
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- Year achieved: June 12, 2022
- Period to reach EGOT: 15 years
- Profession: Singer, actress
- Year of birth: September 12, 1981
Jennifer Hudson is currently the youngest female EGOT winner. She began her journey in 2007 when she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie White in the 2006 film Dreamgirl.
In 2009, she won her first Grammy for Best R&B Album for her self-titled album released in 2008. Jennifer Hudson got her second Grammy in 2021 for Best Song Written for Visual Media for Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) from the movie Respect.
The American Idol alum took home a Daytime Emmy Award in 2021 for producing the animated virtual reality short film Baba Yaga. She became an official EGOT in June 2022 after winning a Tony as the producer of the Best Musical for A Strange Loop.
4. John Legend at 39 years and 8 months
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- Year achieved: September 9, 2018
- Period to reach EGOT: 12 years
- Profession: Singer-songwriter, pianist, actor, producer
- Year of birth: December 28, 1978
John Legend became the first Black man to achieve EGOT status. He won his first three Grammys in 2006 and currently has 12 Grammys, which makes him the most Grammy-awarded EGOT winner.
He won an Oscar in 2015 for Best Original Song for Glory, which he co-wrote with Common for the film Selma. John Legend added a Tony to his collection in 2017 for producing the musical Jitney.
In 2018, the singer completed his EGOT status when he won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for producing Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
3. Justin Paul at 39 years and 8 months
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- Year achieved: September 8, 2024
- Period to reach EGOT: 7 years and 7 months
- Profession: Singer, composer
- Year of birth: January 3, 1985
Justin Paul and his songwriting partner Benj Pasek joined the EGOT club in September 2024. They won their first major award in February 2017, an Oscar for Best Original Song for City of Stars from the film La La Land.
The duo won a Tony in June 2017 for Best Original Score for the musical Dear Evan Hansen. They earned their second Tony in June 2022 as producers of A Strange Loop. They later took home a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in January 2018 for the recording of Dear Evan Hansen.
Paul and Pasek completed their EGOT with a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for their song Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It? From the TV show Only Murders in the Building.
2. Benj Pasek at 39 years and 3 months old
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- Year achieved: September 8, 2024
- Period to reach EGOT: 7 years and 7 months
- Profession: Singer, composer
- Year of birth: June 9, 1985
Benj Pasek achieved his EGOT alongside his songwriting partner Justin Paul. Playbill states the duo set a new record for the fastest climb to an EGOT, reaching this milestone in just under 7 years and 7 months.
1. Robert Lopez at 39 years and 1 week old
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- Year achieved: March 2, 2014
- Period to reach EGOT: 9 years and 8 months
- Profession: Songwriter, playwright
- Year of birth: February 23, 1975
Robert Lopez started collecting his awards in 2004 when he won a Tony for Best Original Score for his musical comedy Avenue Q. He won two more Tonys in 2011, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for The Book of Mormon.
In 2008, Lopez got his first Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for Wonder Pets! He went on to win three more Emmys.
Robert earned his first Grammy in 2012 for Best Musical Theater Album for The Book of Mormon. He got two more Grammys in 2015, including Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for Frozen and Best Song Written for Visual Media for Let It Go from Frozen.
The playwright was declared an EGOT when he won his first Oscar in 2014 for Best Original Song for Let It Go from Frozen. He got his second Oscar for Best Original Song in 2018 with Remember Me from Coco.
Robert Lopez currently holds the record as the only double EGOT, having won all four awards twice. He is also the first Filipino-Asian to achieve such. The playwright usually works with his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
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FAQs
Becoming an EGOT reflects unparalleled talent and versatility to excel across various genres of show business. Below are some of the frequently asked questions about this prestigious accolade;
Who is the youngest EGOT winner?
The youngest EGOT winner ever is songwriter Robert Lopez as of 2024. He achieved the milestone in March 2014 at 39 years and 1 week old.
Who is the fastest EGOT winner?
The fastest EGOT winners as of 2024 are composers Justin Paul and Benj Pasek. The duo joined the EGOT club in 7 years and 7 months. Their journey started with an Oscar in 2017 and finalized with an Emmy in 2024.
Who has won a double EGOT?
Songwriter Robert Lopez is the only person to achieve a double EGOT (i.e. win at least two of each award) as of 2024. He currently has four Emmys, three Grammys, two Oscars, and three Tonys.
Who is the oldest person to win an EGOT?
The oldest person to achieve EGOT status is the late English actor and theatre director John Gielgud. He joined the club in 1991 at 87 years old.
Who is the youngest person to win a Grammy?
As per Billboard, Leah Peasall currently holds the title of the youngest Grammy winner in history. She won the award at the age of 8 in 2001 for her work on the album of the year-winning soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Who is the youngest person to win an Emmy?
Former actress Roxana Zal currently holds the record for the youngest person to win an Emmy. She won the award at 14 years in 1984 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the TV film Something About Amelia.
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The youngest EGOT winners continue to set the bar high for those aspiring to enter the entertainment industry. Their groundbreaking achievements at such a young age are an inspiration for future generations.
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