11 Celebrities Are One Award Away From EGOT Status — Here's What They Need

For many artists — be they actors, singers, or perhaps both — the idea of winning one of the biggest awards in the entertainment industry is a lifelong dream. Should it happen, it becomes a career-defining moment. For the most talented celebrities, just one isn’t enough, and there is a very exclusive club of those who have managed to snag all four of the top prizes, collectively known as an EGOT.

The acronym stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, the most prestigious awards that can be won in TV, music, film, and Broadway, respectively. In just the past decade or so, this has become the ultimate achievement in entertainment, and so far, only 17 artists have managed the incredible feat. For those curious, the full list of EGOT recipients are: Richard Rodgers, Helen Hayes, Rita Moreno, John Gielgud, Audrey Hepburn, Marvin Hamlisch, Jonathan Tunick, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Whoopi Golderg, Scott Rudin, Robert Lopez, John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Tim Rice, Alan Menken, and most recently, Jennifer Hudson (who won a Tony on June 13, solidifying her EGOT status).

While fewer than 20 celebrities and behind-the-scenes artists have EGOTed (yes, you can use it as a verb), there are dozens who are very, very close. Quite a few beloved stars are just one win away from making history, and some have narrowly missed this feat, as they have been nominated for the four prizes, but not yet collected them all.

So, who will be next to EGOT? These celebrities are only missing one of the necessary awards, and one could win what they need very soon.

Adele

Missing: Tony

At the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Adele: One Night Only won every award it was up for, including Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). The honor put Adele one trophy closer to EGOT status — but for now, she’s more than happy with what she’s got so far. “Bloody hell I’m pleased as punch! ... Trust me to officially have an EGO 🤣,” she wrote on Instagram Sept. 4.

In addition to a slew of Grammys — 15 wins out of 18 total nominations, BTW — Adele already had an Oscar for “Skyfall,” which won Best Original Song at the 2013 ceremony.

Ben Platt

Missing: Oscar

Ben Platt is one of a select group of artists who benefited immensely from a very small window in time when it was possible for theater stars to sweep some of the biggest awards in the entertainment industry with just one job. Platt won the Tony for his career-making performance in the musical Dear Evan Hansen, which was a breakout smash on Broadway. He then collected a Grammy as a principal soloist on the cast recording.

Somewhat surprisingly, he then went on to earn a Daytime Emmy (which many people count toward EGOT status) for performing “You Will Be Found” from the same musical on The Today Show. He, along with the rest of the cast of the show, were gifted the trophy for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, which was only offered for four years.

Billy Porter

Missing: Oscar

Like Platt, Billy Porter got his big break in the theater, and once he secured that one special role, his career took off and he has never looked back. After years of trying to make it, he won a Tony for his star turn in Kinky Boots, and the official cast recording also granted him a Grammy. It’s worth mentioning that for many years, the Recording Academy only bestowed the Best Musical Theater Album trophy to producers, but more recently, it has also gone to those actually doing the singing (as it should).

Porter went on to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys for his performance in Pose. He collected the large golden statue on his first time being up for the prize, and he was nominated twice more.

Cher

Missing: Tony

Cher started her career in the mid-1960s, and it didn’t take long for her to begin racking up accolades in the entertainment world. While she did earn several Emmy and Grammy nods when she was just starting out, it would be decades before she finally scored some hardware.

Despite getting her start in TV and music, Cher won her first major honor in 1988, when she was named Best Actress at the Oscars for her role in Moonstruck. A dozen years later, she won her first (and so far only) Grammy for her comeback smash “Believe,” which came out on top in the Best Dance Recording category. She had previously been nominated as one-half of Sonny & Cher, but they missed out on their two chances to revel in glory. The superstar’s Cher: The Farewell Tour won the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Emmy in 2003.

It looked like Cher was about to complete her EGOT a few years ago, as her jukebox musical The Cher Show was a moderate success on Broadway. Sadly, while the title did win several Tony Awards, the production was never up for Best Musical, which is the trophy Cher still needs.

Common

Missing: Tony

Just like Cher, Common only needs a Tony to finish off his EGOT, and while he hasn’t made any major moves to win one, he could in the coming years, just as his former songwriting partner Legend (with whom he shares an Academy Award) did.

One of the most celebrated rappers of an era, Common has lost many more Grammys than he’s won, though he still has several sitting on his trophy shelf at home. Out of 20 nods, he’s collected three, with the first coming his way in 2003. A dozen years later, he transitioned into visual media, and he was welcomed warmly. He and Legend collected the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2015 for the track “Glory” from the civil rights-themed film Selma. He was actually nominated a second time in the same vertical alongside legendary songwriter Diane Warren in 2018, but they didn’t win. He did, however, collect an Emmy in the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics category in 2017 after creating the tune “Letter to the Free” for the documentary 13th.

Cyndi Lauper

Missing: Oscar

Many people know that Cyndi Lauper is a beloved pop singer, but fewer realize how close she is to becoming an EGOT performer. In 1985, her first year at the Grammys, she was up for five awards, including all of the big four. She collected Best New Artist, and that would be her only win for nearly 30 years, when she eventually doubled her sum. She has been nominated for 16 prizes throughout her career.

While still riding her moment in the pop music spotlight, she tried her hand at acting, appearing on the sitcom Mad About You. She lost the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy in 1994, only to beat everyone else the following year.

Her return to grandeur came with her original musical Kinky Boots, which also helped Porter become a star. She co-wrote the score and soon won a Tony for her work. Amazingly, she was nominated again as one member of an all-star cast of producers and songwriters who all contributed to SpongeBob SquarePants, though she didn’t earn that award.

Cynthia Erivo

Missing: Oscar

Cynthia Erivo is one of a number of celebrities who has been nominated for the last remaining honor she needs to EGOT. Like Platt ahead of her, Erivo has won a Daytime Emmy, Grammy, and Tony, all for performances connected to the musical The Color Purple, and she managed to score the trio in rapid succession in 2016.

Erivo again proved her immeasurable talent in 2019 when she earned not one but two Oscar nominations in the same year. She was in the running for Best Actress for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in the simply-titled Harriet. Erivo also co-wrote a track for the film, “Stand Up,” which earned her a second nod in the Best Original Song category. Sadly, the future Wicked star didn’t make history that night, but she might still do so in the future.

Cynthia Nixon

Missing: Oscar

One of this generation’s greatest actors, Cynthia Nixon has a pair of Emmys and Tonys, with even more nominations to her credit. She won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy in 2004 for her work in Sex and the City on her third try. She later went on to add Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series as well, as she performed beautifully in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In the theater world, Nixon is perhaps even more beloved, as she has now been nominated for four Tonys. She nabbed Best Actress in a Play for Rabbit Hole in 2006, and then she doubled her total number of trophies in 2017. That year, she collected Best Featured Actress in a Play for her showing in The Little Foxes.

Nixon happens to have a Grammy as well, which she shares with fellow actors Beau Bridges and Blair Underwood. The three narrated the An Inconvenient Truth audiobook, and they were rewarded with the Best Spoken Word Album gramophone in 2009.

Elton John

Missing: Emmy

Of all the celebs featured on this distinguished list, Elton John may have the most awards to his name. Unsurprisingly, the piano player and singer first won a Grammy, and he actually now has five trophies (out of 35 nominations). He’s currently nominated for Album of the Year as a featured artist on Lil Nas X’s Montero, and he might finally win that competitive category.

In 1994, John was nominated for three Oscars. Yes, three in the same year, and they were all for Best Original Song for compositions from The Lion King. Of the bunch, the beloved “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” was chosen as the winner, beating both “Circle of Life” and “Hakuna Matata.” He tacked on a second Academy Award in 2019 for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from his own biopic, Rocketman.

Amazingly, John has also been nominated for three Tonys, all in the Best Original Score field. After losing for The Lion King in 1998, he collected his first award in 2000 for Adia, and then he lost again in 2009 for Billy Elliot the Musical. So far, John has never been nominated for an Emmy, though he could surely find a way to work in TV at this point in his career.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Missing: Oscar

Lin-Manuel Miranda only needs an Oscar to finish off his acronym, and unfortunately didn’t earn that trophy in the Best Original Song category at the 2022 Academy Awards. Miranda wrote the tunes for the animated film Encanto, which has been very popular among both children and adults. He’s been up for that trophy once before, as “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana was one of the five possible winners in 2016, but it didn’t end up being selected by voters.

Miranda currently has two Emmys and three Grammys and Tonys. He’s won these awards for his work on projects like Hamilton and In the Heights, and he’s been nominated for several more. He’s also currently up for the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Grammy for In the Heights, which might help him add to his collection.

Kate Winslet

Missing: Tony

One of the world’s most distinguished actors, Kate Winslet was already a star by the time she began earning some of the biggest awards in Hollywood, but oddly, it was the music world that honored her first. Winslet shares a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, a category that no longer exists, with fellow stars Graham Greene and Wynton Marsalis. The three ended up on top for narrating Listen to the Storyteller.

Winslet finally won an Oscar in 2008 for Best Actress for the film The Reader. She has now been nominated for seven Academy Awards, and she had to lose her first five before finally being able to walk up on stage and accept a statue. A four-time Emmy nominee, Winslet initially earned the biggest honor in TV in 2011 as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie in Mildred Pierce. A decade later, she was nominated for two more awards, and she dominated the same vertical for her work in Mare of Easttown.