Jennifer Hudson sealed the deal on earning EGOT status with her recent Tony Award as co-producer of A Strange Loop. An EGOT winner is someone who has won each of the four major American entertainment awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony).
The EGOT acronym was coined by Philip Michael Thomas in 1984 when his role in hit television series Miami Vice as detective Tubs catapulted his career. Thomas talked about his plans for future success, which he summarized in four letters: EGOT. He explained to reporter Jerry Brooks at the time, what each letter stood for, reported The Atlantic. While he never did reach his goal of obtaining EGOT status, there are seventeen (17) phenomenal creatives that have.
Jennifer Hudson is one of them and we are not at all surprised. What is for you truly is for you. For instance, it could be said that Jennifer Hudson manifested her role as Aretha Franklin many years ago when she chose to sing “Share Your Love with Me” for her American Idol season three audition. Share Your Love with Me was originally recorded by blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland. The song was covered by different artists through the years, but most notably by Aretha Franklin. Aretha was awarded a Grammy for her 1969 rendition. From that moment forward, Aretha new that Jennifer was a gifted singer and hand-picked her as the person to play herself (Aretha) in the Respect biopic.
Hudson began her EGOT journey in 2007 with an Oscar for best supporting actress as the effervescent Effie White in Dreamgirls. She then went on to win a Grammy for best R&B album for her self-titled debut album in 2009. Eight years later, Hudson came home with a win for The Color Purple, the 2017 best musical theater album. Last year, she was honored with a Daytime Emmy for best interactive media as an executive producer for Baba Yaga, a virtual-reality animated film. Hudson joins Whoopie Goldberg as the second Black Woman to earn EGOT status. There are three Black people that hold the title, John Legend is the third. At 40, Hudson is the third youngest EGOT winner. She is also the only American Idol contestant to earn EGOT status. Interestingly enough, Hudson and John Legend share in common having earned EGOT status and both are judges on the hit television show, The Voice.
“I got a dog and named it Oscar, and then I won an Oscar. And then I got a dog and named it Grammy, and then I won a Grammy,” Hudson joked once in an interview with People Magazine (2020). “So maybe I should get some dogs and name them Emmy and Tony – and it’ll give me good luck, and I’ll win [They’re] like my good luck charms.”
At the young age of 40 Hudson has accomplished so much. We look forward to seeing Hudson continue to break barriers and shatter ceilings.
EGOT winners include:
Helen Hayes (the first woman to win EGOT status), Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Richard Rogers, Audrey Hepburn, Whoppi Goldberg, Rita Moreno, Alan Menken, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Tim Rice, Robert Lopez, Scott Rudin, Mike Nichols, Mel Brooks, Jonathan Tunick , Marvin Hamlisch and Sir John Gielgud.