It was a night of dazzling performances and emotional wins at the 97th Academy Awards, but for Cynthia Erivo, it also marked the end of a historic chase.
On Sunday night, Erivo lost her final opportunity to become the youngest person to achieve EGOT status (winning a competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) at 38 years old.
A Third Shot at the Oscar
Erivo, who opened the Oscars ceremony with a show-stopping medley alongside her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande, was nominated for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba in the highly anticipated adaptation. However, the award went to Mikey Madison for her critically acclaimed performance in Anora.
Also competing in the Best Actress category were:
- Demi Moore (The Substance)
- Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here)
- Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez)
This was Erivo’s third shot at an Oscar, after previously being doubly nominated in 2019 for Best Actress (Harriet) and Best Original Song ("Stand Up"). That year, she lost to Renée Zellweger (Judy) in the acting category and to Elton John and Bernie Taupin (Rocketman) for Best Original Song.
An Almost EGOT
While an Oscar has remained elusive, Erivo has already secured three of the four major awards needed for the coveted EGOT status:
- Tony Award (2016) – Best Leading Actress in a Musical (The Color Purple)
- Grammy Award (2017) – Best Musical Theatre Album (The Color Purple)
- Emmy Award (2017) – Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program (The Color Purple performance on a talk show)
All three of these wins stemmed from her breakout role as Celie in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple, which catapulted her into stardom.
What’s Next for Cynthia Erivo?
While she may have missed her final chance to be the youngest EGOT winner, Erivo remains an unstoppable force in entertainment. With more film, music, and theater projects in the pipeline—including her lead role in Wicked and upcoming original music—it’s only a matter of time before she finally claims that Oscar and earns her place among the exclusive EGOT winners.
For now, the dream remains just one award away.