Into the EGOTs: Part I
The 2024-2025 awards show season has ended, but what goes into this process?
Another awards show season has just ended, with another round of amazing projects getting the recognition they deserve. Over 47 million people tuned in to watch the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys (EGOTs) combined, with the Oscars, otherwise known as the Academy Awards, leading the pack at 19.7 million viewers, the largest Academy Awards audience in five years.
Award shows are extremely important in popular culture because they draw genres together to compete for the coveted awards. Viewers and listeners can also gather and cross their fingers for their favorite artist or movie. As soon as the nominations are released, fans run to watch or listen to the projects, eager to get their share of the excitement. The awards shows will highlight and recognize the hard work that goes into these projects and shine a light on every aspect of the behind-the-scenes that brought the project to life. These shows have recently focused on raising money for charities, including the L.A. Wildfires. When the night comes, the public’s favorite stars will flood the red carpet, and all of Hollywood will come together and acknowledge the outstanding efforts that are put into projects. And of course, 47 million people will be watching and sharing their own opinions on the matter. But how do these award shows work?
Contrary to popular belief, the process for selecting the winner of these highly prestigious awards shows is quite simple. Only members of the respected administration or academy can vote, and each person is encouraged to vote only in their areas of expertise. For example, Directors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) will vote in their respective categories (e.g., outstanding directing for a reality program) for the Emmy Awards. Then, the movies with the most votes are announced as the nominees. The members of the academies vote in the final round for the winners. The winner is then kept secret until it is revealed the night of the show on live television.
The Oscars, however, have a slightly different process for their “Best Picture” award. In order to ensure that the winner is the most popular among the members, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) uses a ranked voting system for that particular category. Members rank the nominees 1-10, and the film that gets 50% or more votes is the winner.
If a movie doesn’t get 50%, then the last choice is eliminated, and the votes that went towards that movie are added to their next movie in line. This process continues until one of the movies gets a majority vote, and is then announced the winner of “Best Picture.”
Each of these award shows are highly prestigious and important in the world of popular culture. If a celebrity manages to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, then they will win one of the highest, most coveted achievements of their career: an EGOT.
Into the EGOTs: Part II
A look into the prestige and honor of an EGOT.
The highest honor in the entertainment industry is becoming an EGOT: being awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. However, achieving this requires an immense skill set that expands across all industry entertainment levels and types. It is a prestigious title, and getting there is no easy feat. To date, there are only 21 people who have achieved EGOT status, with the most recent being in 2024, when songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul completed their EGOT with an Emmy win at the 2024 Emmy Awards show. The first person to complete the EGOT was composer Richard Rodgers in 1962, and the first and only person to have achieved a double EGOT is Robert Lopez, who was also the youngest to achieve EGOT status at the age of 39.
There are a few people who are very close to achieving this honor. Cynthia Erivo, nominated for the 2025 Academy Awards for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked, has yet to win an Academy Award. If Cynthia had won the Oscar at the 2025 Academy Awards, she would have earned the title of the youngest EGOT winner at 39 years old; however, she lost to Mikey Madison for best actress. Lin-Manuel Miranda is another popular name close to achieving EGOT statues, also just one Oscar away. He was not nominated for an Oscar in the 2025 season; however, there is no doubt that he will come back with another amazing production to chase this honor.
The status of an EGOT is a display of all the hard work and dedication that these artists have put into their work. Most have been a part of the entertainment industry for most of their lives, and it is a true honor to have that devotion recognized. A very common saying in most award acceptance speeches is, “I would like to thank my peers.” This is because, as mentioned in the last article, members are instructed to vote within their area of expertise. Therefore, actors nominated actors, directors nominated directors, etc. This is highlighted by many people in their acceptance speeches, because their project was voted on by people who understand their topics. Members have had years of experience and education, and most are regarded as “experts.” The winners acknowledge that their “peers” recognize their project as the best.
The achievement of EGOT status is no small feat; it takes years and years of experience to even get close to winning this award. Therefore, the people who have reached this ultimate achievement are recognized in society as the greats, and they shine as role models for many young, aspiring members of the growing entertainment industry.
