These Are The Only Stars To Have Ever Won The Most Coveted Award In Showbiz

There are four awards that truly matter in the American entertainment world: the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and the Tonys. To win just one is a mark of prestige and a rare milestone for any performer. But imagine being so talented that you managed to bag all four of them? Well, it turns out there’s a special term this elusive trophy set: the EGOT. Only 16 elite stars have ever won it, while a further five have gained the title through honorary awards. So, who were they? Read on and find out.

Richard Rodgers

The very first person to win the EGOT was beloved composer Richard Rodgers. Alongside his lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, he bagged his first in the set in 1946 when his composition “It Might As Well Be Spring” earned an Academy Award. Following this, the pair’s musicals South Pacific and The Sound of Music added Tonys and Grammys to their collection as well.

Rodgers was best known for collaborating with Hammerstein, but it would be the composer alone who’d complete the EGOT. After his partner’s death, the musician took home an Emmy in 1962 for his solo work on Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years. Considering the accomplishment was the first of its kind, we wonder if Rodgers really knew the significance of his win?

Helen Hayes

It would take 15 years from the first EGOT win for another star to complete the feat. That honor would fall to actress Helen Hayes, who completed her collection with a Grammy in 1977. For the actress – having picked up her first gong in 1932 – this was an accomplishment almost 50 years in the making.

After gaining an Oscar for The Sins of Madelon Claudet, Hayes won a Tony for Happy Birthday in 1947. Over the next 30 years, the star earned an Emmy in 1953 as well as another Oscar and Tony before finally getting her Grammy. By the time she joined this elusive club, Hayes had reached the grand old age of 77.