Barbra Streisand's EGOT Status: Honorary Award Debate

Barbra Streisand, a legendary figure in show business, holds an impressive collection of awards, including five Emmys, eight Grammys, and two Oscars. However, she has yet to win a competitive Tony Award. Streisand received Tony nominations for her roles in "I Can Get It for You Wholesale" and "Funny Girl," but lost to Phyllis Newman and Carol Channing, respectively.

In 1970, the Tony Awards presented Streisand with an honorary "Star of the Decade" award. Most awards experts maintain that only competitive wins count towards EGOT status, raising questions about the validity of including honorary awards. This distinction becomes particularly relevant when considering the varying number of categories across different major awards.

The article highlights disparities in award difficulty, noting fewer categories at the Oscars (24) and Tonys (26) compared to the Grammys (95) and Primetime Emmys (123). It also touches upon the addition and subsequent removal of a musical performance category in the Daytime Emmy Awards, which was seen as an easier route to EGOT achievement.

Recent EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, along with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall, achieved the status partly through producer wins for "A Strange Loop," sparking further debate about the criteria. As of March 19, 2026, 22 individuals have officially achieved EGOT status through competitive wins, with Steven Spielberg being the most recent in early 2026 for a music film award.