Steven Spielberg has achieved EGOT status, earning his first Grammy at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony for producing the documentary Music by John Williams.
Director Steven Spielberg claimed the **Best Music Film** award at the Grammy Premiere Ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This victory marks his entry into the rare EGOT club, comprising winners of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Previously, Spielberg secured three Oscars, including Best Director for Schindler’s List (1994) and Saving Private Ryan (1999), plus a Best Picture win for the latter. He also holds four Emmys, notably for producing Band of Brothers and Taken. The Tony came from producing the musical A Strange Loop in 2022.
The award for Music by John Williams recognizes a documentary directed by Laurent Bouzereau that chronicles the life of composer John Williams, Spielberg’s longtime collaborator on nearly 30 projects. Spielberg shared the win with Williams, a five-time Oscar recipient and over 10-time Grammy winner, alongside producers including Sara Bernstein, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Justin Wilkes. The film features interviews with Williams’ collaborators like Spielberg, Kennedy, Marshall, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Alan Silvestri, Thomas Newman, and James Newman. This Grammy completes Spielberg’s sweep of the four major U.S. performing arts awards.
Spielberg now joins an elite group of 22 EGOT winners, including Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Elton John, John Legend, and Jennifer Hudson. The Premiere Ceremony kicked off the 68th Grammys with host Darren Criss, contrasting last year’s focus on wildfire relief by centering music celebrations. Other early winners included K-pop act Golden from KPop Demon Hunters for Song Written for Visual Media, marking K-pop’s first Grammy, and Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance with Defying Gravity. The Dalai Lama took Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, accepted by Rufus Wainwright.
Spielberg’s awards run continues with a producer nod on Hamnet, which garnered eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. His next directorial project, a UFO-themed film titled Disclosure Day, will feature music by Williams. Industry sources note this Grammy as a capstone to decades of collaboration between the pair. The main Grammy telecast later pitted artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and Bad Bunny against each other.