EGOT history: Youngest and oldest winners at each of the prestigious competitions

EGOT — Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony — forms a quadfecta of the American entertainment industry’s top most accomplishments where awards are concerned.

So rare is the achievement that only 21 artists in the entire competitive history have ever prevailed to conquer all of the four stages.

However, what we are getting into today is a look at the youngest and oldest celebrities to win at each of these prestigious award ceremonies.

Let’s begin with the youngest winners at Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys.

Emmy Awards — Roxana Zal

A 14-year-old Roxana Zal remains the youngest actor to win television’s highest honour. She won an Emmy as a Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the 1984 TV film Something About Amelia.

Grammy Awards — LeAnn Rimes

While the Peasall Sisters are the youngest Grammy winners as a group, the individual honour is held by country music star LeAnn Rimes, who won best new artist and best female country vocal performance at the age of 14, in 1997.

Academy Awards — Tatum O’Neal

Hailing from an acting background, Tatum O’Neal starred alongside her father, Ryan O’Neal, in 1973’s Paper Moon and won the Oscar for best supporting actress when she was just 10 years old.

Tony Awards — Frankie Michaels

11-year-old child artist Frankie Michaels became the youngest recipient of a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical after his performance in the musical Mame, at the 1966 ceremony.

While here are the oldest winners:

Emmy Awards — Norman Lear

At the incredible age of 98, legendary screenwriter and producer Norman Lear became the competition’s oldest winner, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) in 2020.

Grammy Awards — Pinetop Perkins

While former US president Jimmy Carter became the oldest Grammy winner ever following his posthumous win in the best audio narration category at the age of 100 this year, blues pianist and influential rock-and-roll performer Pinetop Perkins is the oldest artist to win the award for Best Traditional Blues Album, in 2011, at 97 years of age.

Academy Awards — James Ivory

A legend of directing and writing, as well as one half of the famous Ivory-Merchant filmmaking duo, James Ivory is the oldest artist to win an Oscar, being 89-years-old when he won Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2017 film, Call Me by Your Name.

Tony Awards — Lois Smith

An actress who started out in the 1960s, Lois Smith became Tony Award’s oldest winner at the age of 90, winning as best actress in a featured role in a play for her performance in the 2020 Broadway production, The Inheritance.