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JWR VerifiedFounding RecordJWR-2026-000034

First Person to Achieve EGOT

Record holder

Richard RodgersPerson

Record value

First person to achieve competitive EGOT

Country represented: United StatesAchievement location: New York City, New York, United StatesAchievement date: 22 May 1962Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Richard Rodgers at the St. James Theatre in 1948

Richard Rodgers at the St. James Theatre in 1948 — a clear solo career-era image for his EGOT record.Al Aumuller / New York World-Telegram and the Sun / Library of Congress / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic domain

Official record definition

The first person in history to win qualifying individual competitive Emmy, Grammy, Academy Award (Oscar), and Tony awards.

Measurement methodology

historical award chronology verified against Guinness World Records and independent Jewish reporting

Measurement point: completion of qualifying competitive Emmy + Grammy + Oscar + Tony set

Record story

Richard Rodgers became the "First person to achieve competitive EGOT" on 22 May 1962 in New York City. The record is defined as being the first person in history to win qualifying individual competitive Emmy, Grammy, Academy Award (Oscar), and Tony awards. Rodgers's achievement marks him as the first person to complete this set of four major American entertainment prizes, as verified by sources including Guinness World Records.

The completion of the EGOT reflects a sequence of prize-winning works across film, theatre, recorded music, and television. His Academy Award was for the song “It Might as Well Be Spring” from State Fair; his Tony success included the musical South Pacific; his Grammy recognition included The Sound of Music; and his Emmy for the series Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years completed the set. Jewish reporting has also independently identified Rodgers as the first person ever to achieve this milestone.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
31 August 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

Guinness World Records identifies Richard Rodgers as the first person to achieve EGOT, completed on 22 May 1962, and lists the qualifying Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy wins.

Superiority evidence

The absolute/general world FIRST closes superiority: no person of any identity achieved EGOT earlier under the same competitive definition. JTA independently identifies Rodgers as Jewish and the first person ever to reach EGOT.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Benj Pasek becomes 8th Jew to enter elite EGOT ranks — Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • 120 Facts About Richard Rodgers — Rodgers & Hammerstein

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • First person to achieve the EGOT — Guinness World Records

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • First person to achieve the EGOT

    Reference databaseGuinness World Records

    What this proves: Identifies Richard Rodgers as the first person to achieve competitive EGOT and dates completion to 22 May 1962.

  • Benj Pasek becomes 8th Jew to enter elite EGOT ranks

    Independent publicationJewish Telegraphic Agency· 9 September 2024

    What this proves: Identifies Richard Rodgers as Jewish and as the first person ever to achieve EGOT.

  • 120 Facts About Richard Rodgers

    Holder-controlled websiteRodgers & Hammerstein

    What this proves: Documents that both parents were Russian Jews and that his Emmy win made him the first EGOT.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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