Elton John recently joined the very elite club known as EGOT status. He is one of very few to achieve this elusive feat, and I believe he deserves it 100000% and then some. I absolutely adore Elton John; I have been a fan of him since I was a kid. He is always on heavy rotation whenever I listen to music and for a few solid years, he was on my Spotify Wrapped top 5. But, enough of my Elton John obsession, back to why we are here today: EGOTs.

With Elton John recently acquiring his EGOT for Outstanding Variety Special (Live): Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, a lot of people are confused as to what an EGOT is. EGOT is an acronym for several different awards. Those awards are Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Emmys are for acting, as well as the Oscars. The Grammys are for music, and the Tonys are for Broadway.

Now with that in mind, let’s discuss who are the few that actually have EGOT status and who are close to achieving it. 

Sir Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, John Gielgud, Audrey Hepburn, Viola Davis, Jennifer Hudson, Alan Menken, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Richard Rodgers, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Robert Lopez, Scott Rudin, Tim Rice, Rita Moreno, Jonathan Tunick, Marvin Hamlisch, John Legend and Helen Hayes are currently all the people with EGOT status. 

Some names may seem familiar, and they should because they are icons. I am not shocked that Audrey Hepburn is an EGOT winner, because she defined a whole era in Hollywood, Andrew Lloyd Webber made Phantom of the Opera, one of the most iconic musicals of all time, Alan Menken basically composed all of our childhoods, Viola Davis, who needs no introduction and more. These people most definitely deserve their EGOTs, however, many people are one award away from earning theirs. 

Usually, Tony’s are the last ones people need in order to achieve EGOT status. It is quite difficult to get a Tony because those are for only Broadway performances. Cher, Julie Andrews, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and Kate Winslet all need their Tonys. I am in utter shock that Julie Andrews doesn’t have a Tony, because she deserves it so much. I personally think to get Julie Andrews her Tony, someone should develop a The Princess Diaries musical or stage play for her to play in. 

Some who need Oscars are Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billy Porter, Hugh Jackman and Dick Van Dyke. I can see Lin Manuel Miranda getting his Oscar eventually, as he is at the peak of his career currently. It saddens me that Dick Van Dyke has never gotten an Oscar, which he absolutely deserves. Looking into this has helped me realize a lot of my favorite things have just never won awards. Love that. 

Some who need Grammys are Maggie Smith, Al Pacino, Jessica Lange, Jeremy Irons,and Helen Mirren. Now, this may seem a little silly, but it’s a funny thought: imagine Maggie Smith releasing a rap album so she can earn her EGOT. That is such a cursed thought, but I love it. The only artist I personally recognize as needing their Emmy is Bruce Springsteen, which is very interesting to me. I am not sure how he could get his Emmy, but I am open to crazy suggestions. I don’t think we can get crazier ideas than Maggie Smith rapping, and although that sounds very magical, I don’t think it’s very realistic. Still rooting for that The Princess Diaries stage play for Julie Andrews though!

Annemarie Karabinus is an opinion writer. Contact her at [email protected].