Viola Davis is now one of four Black entertainers to reach EGOT status.
The Woman King star was at the Grammy Awards Sunday, where she accepted her Grammy for best audiobook, narration, and storytelling recording award for her memoir, Finding Me. That award clinched EGOT for David, who had already received an Academy Award, two Tony awards, and an Emmy.
“I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, Davis told the cheering audience. “To honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything. And it has just been such a journey. I just EGOT!.”
Davis also thanked “everybody who was a part of [her] story and the best chapter yet,” including her husband, Julius Tennon, and daughter, Genesis, for being “my life, you’re my joy, the best chapter in my book.”
Davis returned to the stage shortly after her win to present an award and received a standing ovation from the audience.
Viola Davis received a standing ovation at #TheGrammys shortly after she became the 18th EGOT winner in history pic.twitter.com/6ToDOg3ga2
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) February 6, 2023
Davis joins only 17 other entertainers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony, NBC News reported. The Help star is the fourth Black person, alongside Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend, and Jennifer Hudson to accomplish the hard-to-get accolade.
An ecstatic Jennifer Hudson took to Twitter to celebrate Davis joining her among the ranks of EGOT recipients.
“Hold the line !!!!!!! Viola Davis just became EGOT #18 !!!” Hudson tweeted.
“Omg @violadavis U are absolutely everything ! Congratulations to a living LEGEND. Time to celebrate !!!”
Hold the line !!!!!!! Viola Davis just became EGOT #18 !!! Omg @violadavis U are absolutely everything ! Congratulations to a living LEGEND. Time to celebrate !!! pic.twitter.com/jwZZeY9y3a
— Jennifer Hudson (@IAMJHUD) February 5, 2023
Last month, Davis told the Grammys how much of a “huge accomplishment” it would be for her to become an EGOT winner.
“I think that everybody wants their life to mean something,” she said.
“I believe in the Cherokee birth blessing, which is, ‘May you live long enough to know why you were born.’ I do believe that you literally wanna blow a hole through this world in whatever way you can.”