Jennifer Hudson has just joined an elite category of performers who have achieved one of the most coveted acronyms in all of entertainment.
She had to wait through the entirety of the Tony Awards ceremony to find out if she was going to join that lofty crew, but it all came together when “A Strange Loop” won for Best Musical.
Hudson is one of several producers for the show, but there is no limit to how many producers can win the award, as noted by TheWrap.
With this victory, Hudson earns the coveted EGOT, which stands for wins at each of the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys. She’d previously won the Oscar in 2007 for her work in “Dreamgirls,” and a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for producting the animated film “Baba Yaga.”
The “American Idol” alum already has two Grammys, having picked up trophies for her 2009 self-titled album, as well as “The Color Purple” in 2017. Now, she joins an elite group of only 17 people who’ve won all four. She is the first “Idol” contestant to do so.
The most recent winner is Alan Menken, who achieved the honor in 2020. There were three EGOT winners in 2018, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, and John Legend. Lin-Manuel Miranda was on the verge of scoring his, but missed out when Billie Eilish took the Oscar for Best Original Song this past year.
The only other people in this lofty circle are (in descending order of when they achieved their EGOT status) Robert Lopez (2013), Scott Rudin (2012), Whoopi Goldberg (2002), Mike Nichols (2001), Mel Brooks (2001), Jonathan Tunick (1997), Marvin Hamlisch (1995), Audrey Hepburn (1994), John Gielgud (1991), Rita Moreno (1977), Helen Hayes (1977), and Richard Rodgers (1962).
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