How Barbra Streisand Got Her EGOT
Barbra Streisand is one of the only women to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, but how did she take home those prestigious honors?
People are talking about Barbra Streisand again after the release of her memoir, My Name Is Barbra.
The nearly 1,000-page book includes many stories of her time in the spotlight, including the movies, songs, TV shows and relationships that made her one of the most enduring stars of our time.
Countless articles have been written about Streisand in the lead-up to the release of My Name Is Barbra, and many of them tout the fact that she ranks among the few EGOT winners — people who have earned one of each of the biggest honors in the four areas of the entertainment industry: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
That’s certainly quite the accomplishment, but how did Streisand manage the feat? Everyone takes a different path to completing their EGOT, so let’s dive into how one of the first women to do so won all four prizes.
Emmy
While she was never known primarily for her work on TV, Streisand has nonetheless won plenty of Emmys to justify her star power in the medium. She has claimed at least five Primetime Emmys — the awards most people think of when someone just says “Emmy” — as well as a Daytime Emmy.
She’s won in several categories, both as someone working in front of the camera and behind. She’s also lost more Emmys than she’s won, so she really is a TV star.
Grammy
Of the four awards that make up the EGOT, Streisand has won the most Grammys.
This isn’t shocking to those who know her work, as she is known for having one of the best singing voices of all time. She has claimed eight Grammys, but she’s been nominated 46 times — one of the greatest accumulations of chances to win among female musicians of all time.
She won two trophies in her first year nominated, 1964, including Album of the Year for The Barbra Streisand Album. Also included in her collection of prizes is a coveted Song of the Year for “Evergreen” (which also won her an Oscar).
In total, Streisand has been nominated for Album of the Year six times, and she’s been up for Record of the year — a prize she never won — five times.
Oscar
Streisand has been nominated for five Academy Awards throughout her career. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, those nods are in three different categories, showing how diverse her talents are.
She won her first of two Oscars in 1969. That year, she shared the Best Actress prize in a very rare tie. She was awarded the trophy alongside Katharine Hepburn, who was not there to accept the honor. It marked her first-ever role in a movie, and it kicked off her movie career in glorious fashion.
A little less than a decade later, she was awarded the Best Original Song Oscar for co-writing “Evergreen,” used in the 1976 remake of A Star Is Born. Streisand also starred in the picture, foreshadowing the success that Lady Gaga would have when she replicated the dual role as both actor and songwriter in 2018.
Tony
According to EGOT purists, Streisand might be cheating here.
She scored two nominations for her roles in I Can Get It for You Wholesale and Funny Girl (which she would then replicate in the movie that won her an Academy Award) but lost both times.
She finally took home a trophy in 1970, by which time she was a certified superstar. However, the Tony sitting on her shelf is a special award, meaning it wasn’t competitive.
Some people believe those shouldn’t count toward EGOTs, while others insist that if a person has the hardware, they’ve won the award.
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