The iconic filmmaker has achieved the special awards tier EGOT status on Sunday with his first Grammy win in the best music film category for the documentary “Music by John Williams,” a tribute to his longtime collaborator and the composer behind some of cinema’s most enduring scores.
The win completes the iconic filmmaker’s collection of the entertainment industry’s four major art awards, a feat accomplished by 20 other artists across film, television, music, and theater.
“Music by John Williams” from Disney+ chronicles the legendary composer’s career and his decades-long partnership with Spielberg, which began with “The Sugarland Express” and includes classics such as “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List,” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
Spielberg’s Oscar resume is a rare milestone, receiving nine Oscar nominations for best director, making him the third-most-nominated director in the category’s history, behind Martin Scorsese (10) and William Wyler (12). He won the award twice for his Holocaust epic “Schindler’s List” (1993) and the World War II drama “Saving Private Ryan” (1998).
As a producer, the filmmaker holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations for best picture, with 14 nominations, most recently for Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare drama “Hamnet,” which netted eight Oscar nods.
His others include “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982), “The Color Purple” (1985), “Schindler’s List” (1993), “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), “Munich” (2005), “Letters from Iwo Jima” (2006), “War Horse” (2011), “Lincoln” (2012), “Bridge of Spies” (2015), “The Post” (2017), “West Side Story” (2021), “The Fabelmans” (2022), and “Maestro” (2023).
On television, Spielberg earned the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding animated program for “A Pinky and the Brain Christmas” (1995) and three Primetime Emmys for outstanding limited or anthology series for the HBO war drama “Band of Brothers” (2001), the science-fiction miniseries “Taken” (2003), and the HBO World War II companion series “The Pacific” (2010).
Spielberg’s Tony journey began in 2022, when he produced the musical “A Strange Loop” alongside his wife, Kate Capshaw, and another EGOT recipient, Jennifer Hudson.
While Spielberg is not individually listed on the official Tony Awards website, Tony Awards representatives stated that he did receive a statuette as part of the production’s credited producer group, listed under the “et al” designation. He also earned noms for best musical for “Water for Elephants” (2024) and “Death Becomes Her” (2025).
“Thank you to all the Grammy voters, whose recognition of ‘Music by John Williams’ means the world to me and our Amblin team, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, and congratulations to our partners at Imagine and the Walt Disney Company,” Spielberg wrote in a statement. “This acknowledgment is obviously deeply meaningful to me because it validates what I have known for over 50 years: John Williams’ influence on culture and music is immeasurable, and his artistry and legacy is unrivaled. I am proud to be associated with Laurent’s beautiful film.”
With Spielberg’s Grammy win, the EGOT club remains one of the smallest and most exclusive honors in entertainment. There are 20 EGOT winners to date: Richard Rodgers, Helen Hayes, Rita Moreno, John Gielgud, Audrey Hepburn, Marvin Hamlisch, Jonathan Tunick, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Whoopi Goldberg, Scott Rudin, Robert Lopez, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, John Legend, Alan Menken, Jennifer Hudson, Viola Davis, Elton John, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
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