EGOT - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards - to their credit, these Hollywood artistes of colour have carved a separate niche for themselves on the wings of their talent and tenacity
Mona
The Black History Month—February—which celebrates the often neglected accomplishments of people of colour, gets a new meaning in 2023. With Viola Davis, an advocate for social justice and equality for women of colour in Hollywood, bagging the prestigious EGOT, it’s time to acknowledge artistes who have achieved the amazing feat on the basis of their talent.
From the early 1900, when first actors of colour, Sam Lucas, Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel, got their due in show business, things have come afar. Concerns have been raised, and rightful changes made. #OscarsSoWhite, which was first tweeted in 2015, too has pushed for change. Now, leading actors of ‘black’ colour, whose talent is accepted, applauded, have a rightful place in the EGOT hall of fame.
Viola!
“I wrote this book to honour the six-year-old Viola. To honour her life, her joy, her trauma, everything and it has just been such a journey. I just EGOT,” spoke actress, Viola Davis who won a Grammy Award 2023 for narrating the audio book of her memoir Finding Me. She has also won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award. For the plays King Hedley II and Fences, she earned her two Tonys. Fences, the film, got her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2016. Playing the fierce Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder got her an Emmy a year earlier.
Rita Moreno, the Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer, who shot to limelight as Anita in 1961 with West Side Story, also won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She holds two Emmys for The Muppet Show and The Rockford Files in 1977 and 1978, respectively. While The Electric Company got her Grammy Best Album for Children In 1973; her Tony came for The Ritz in 1975. In her 90s now, she has continued her work on screen, and her sports comedy 80 for Brady was released early this month.
Great act
Whoopi Goldberg is another force to reckon with. American actor, comedian, author and TV star, she is also recipient of Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Ghost won her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1990. Her Grammy came via Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording for Best Comedy Album in 1986. Thoroughly Modern Millie won her the Tony for Best Musical in 2002. The same year got her Daytime Emmy for Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel. She continues to work relentlessly; couple of projects that she is part of include a guest role in comedy The Conners.
American singer-songwriter, actress, talk show host, and producer Jennifer Hudson remains the youngest EGOT recipient. In 2007, she received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls. Grammy came the following year for her debut self-titled studio album Jennifer Hudson winning Best R&B Album. She won Daytime Emmy for Baba Yaga in 2021. A Strange Loop in 2022 as Best Musical won her a Tony, putting her on to the EGOT pedestal. She continues to host The Jennifer Hudson Show since 2022. She will next be seen in an upcoming action-adventure film Breathe.
American singer, songwriter John Legend, winner of multiple Emmys and Grammys, got an Oscar for the song Glory from the film Selma in 2015. A Tony winner, as a producer of August Wilson’s Jitney, the All Of Me crooner has stayed a part of American singing reality show The Voice.
Non-competitive EGOT
As many as 28 Grammys to his credit, Quincy Jones got an Emmy in 1995 and 1996 and, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscar) in 1994, and a Tony for producing the hit revival of Broadway’s The Color Purple in 2006 put him on to the prestigious EGOT list.
The Star Wars and Field of Dreams legend James Earl Jones holds a non-competitive EGOT, after winning an Honorary Oscar in 2011. He holds three Emmys, three Tonys and a Grammy.
Activist, actor and singer Harry Belafonte’s Non-competitive EGOT history boasts of a Tony in 1954, an Emmy in 1960, a Grammy the following year and honourary Oscar- the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2014 — at the Academy’s Governors Awards.
Looks like the list is set to become longer, as accomplished American rapper and actor Common, English actress, singer and songwriter Cynthia Erivo, and American actor, singer, writer and director Billy Porter are just a step away from joining the prestigious EGOT club!
What is EGOT?
Considered the grand slam of show business—EGOT, an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards, is the ultimate achievement in Hollywood of having won all four of the major American entertainment awards. Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony honour outstanding achievements in television, recording, film and Broadway theatre, respectively.
