Viola Davis has finally earned her EGOT status, after her first GRAMMY nomination and subsequent win. This makes the How To Get Away With Murder star the third Black woman to become an EGOT winner. Jennifer Hudson and Whoopi Goldberg preceded her.
On Sunday night (Feb. 5), Davis won the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category during the 2023 Grammy Awards pre-telecast for the audio version of her memoir, Finding Me. “I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola. To honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything and it’s just been such a journey. I just EGOT!” exclaimed the Woman King actress, 57, as the audience erupted in applause.
“…To everybody who was a part of my story and the best chapter yet—my loves,” she continued while fighting tears. “Julius, Genesis, you are my life and my joy. The best chapter in my book.”
Her ascent to EGOT status began in 2001 when she won a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play in King Hedley II. After the first season of the hit aforementioned Shonda Rhimes-helmed television series, Davis made history in 2015 as the first woman of color to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Annalise Keating.
In 2017, she took home the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Rose in the film adaptation of Fences. Notably, Davis is also the first Black actor to win a “triple crown of acting,” a term reserved for entertainers who’ve competitively won an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award in the acting categories—the highest honors recognized in film, TV, and theatre respectively.