Steven Spielberg FINALLY achieves EGOT at 79 after long-awaited Grammy victory

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Steven Spielberg has officially joined one of Hollywood’s most exclusive clubs.

The celebrated 79-year-old director finally achieved EGOT status on Sunday night, winning his first Grammy Award at the 2026 ceremony in Los Angeles.

The director and producer were recognized for their work on Music by John Williams, a documentary they created about the renowned composer, which won the award for Best Music Film.

Even though Spielberg couldn’t be there, he released a statement after the event to celebrate the achievement.

Oh my gosh, you guys, Steven Spielberg actually said this! He was so gracious, saying this award means everything to him and the whole team. He thanked the Grammy voters, of course, and gave shout-outs to Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, everyone at Imagine, and Disney – seriously, he’s so appreciative! But the best part? He talked about John Williams! He called John’s impact on music and culture completely immeasurable and said his legacy is unlike anyone else’s. Honestly, it just confirms what I’ve always known – John Williams is a legend, and Spielberg gets it! I’m practically speechless!

Laurent Bouzereau’s documentary tells the story of John Williams’ incredible career composing music for some of the most famous movies ever made, like Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List.

The Grammy win now completes Spielberg’s sweep across television, music, film and theatre.

It is a feat achieved by just 21 artists to date. 

After winning a Grammy, Steven Spielberg now belongs to an exclusive group of entertainers—the EGOT winners. This prestigious list also includes Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, and Viola Davis.

Steven Spielberg has been a major force in the entertainment industry for decades, earning numerous awards including three Oscars for his films Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, as well as four Primetime Emmy Awards.

In 2022, he won a Tony Award as a producer for the Broadway revival of A Strange Loop, which was named Best Musical.

Next month, Steven Spielberg – a producer on the film Hamnet – could win another Academy Award, as the movie is nominated for Best Picture.

Steven Spielberg made Oscars history by becoming the first director nominated for Best Director across six different decades.

Steven Spielberg first received a Best Director nomination in 1978 for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and followed that with nominations for Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1982 and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1983. He won his first Best Director Oscar in 1994 for Schindler’s List, and won again in 1999 with Saving Private Ryan. His most recent nomination was for West Side Story (2021).

Spielberg’s win comes on what is  widely considered to be ‘Music’s Biggest Night.’

Trevor Noah, known for hosting The Daily Show and his comedy, will host the event for the sixth year in a row.

The Grammy Award nominations came out in November, and Kendrick Lamar, who has already won 22 Grammys, received the most nominations this year with nine.

Lady Gaga received seven nominations, putting her in second place. She shares this number with Taylor Swift’s frequent collaborator, Jack Antonoff, and well-known pop producer Cirkut.

Sabrina Carpenter, with six nominations for her upcoming 2025 album ‘Man’s Best Friend,’ is set to perform at the three-hour show alongside other major musical artists.

Gaga, Justin Bieber and K-pop sensation Rosé will also take the stage.

The Recording Academy added two new awards this year: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover.

After Beyoncé’s success with her country album, Cowboy Carter, the Grammy Awards will now recognize both contemporary and traditional country music as separate categories. This means the ‘Best Country Album’ award will be split into two distinct awards.

According to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., the Academy’s main goal is to accurately reflect the interests of the musicians it represents, and these changes, announced in June, are intended to do just that.

This means carefully considering feedback from our members so our policies stay current with the music industry and help us identify and support all the talented creators we can.

To be considered for nominations in 2026, recordings had to be officially released for sale in the U.S. between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.

Grammy voters decided the winners between December 12, 2025, and January 5, 2026.

Oh my gosh, the Grammys are EVERYTHING! It’s when they finally get to celebrate the artists who make music so amazing, and honestly, this year’s nominees? They just prove how unbelievably talented everyone is and how they’re constantly pushing music in the best direction ever! Mason Jr. totally gets it, you know? He said it all – it’s about recognizing the people who make our music world so vibrant, and this year’s list is just… chef’s kiss.

These nominees – ranging from up-and-coming artists to established stars – truly represent the wide variety of music we enjoy today, and I’m looking forward to celebrating their achievements in the weeks to come.

The competition for Album of the Year in 2026 is expected to be fierce, featuring major artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and Sabrina Carpenter all vying for the top spot.

Kendrick Lamar’s new album, GNX, has been nominated for Album of the Year, making him the first artist ever to have five consecutive studio albums receive that honor. If GNX wins, it will be Lamar’s first victory in this category.

The rapper is nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year with his song “Luther” featuring SZA. This is the third time he’s been nominated for all three of the biggest Grammy Awards at the same time.

The singer, originally from Compton, is also nominated for awards in several other categories, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album.

Justin Bieber is also set to make his long-awaited return to the Grammy Awards stage. 

The popular singer, age 31, will perform at the 2026 Grammys. This will be his first time on stage at the awards show in four years.

Justin Bieber last took the stage at the awards show in 2022, performing his hit song “Peaches” with Giveon and Daniel Caesar to a great response from the audience.

This year, Justin Bieber has received four award nominations. He’s up for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album for Swag, Best Pop Solo Performance for Daisies, and Best R&B Performance for Yukon.

Throughout his career, the Canadian musician has been nominated for a Grammy Award 23 times and has won twice.

Adding to the excitement of the Grammys, Justin Bieber’s former girlfriend, Selena Gomez, is also scheduled to be there.

Selena Gomez and her ex-boyfriend, music producer Benny Blanco, are both nominated for an award for their song ‘Bluest Flame,’ which means they’ll be at the same event – one of the biggest in the music industry.

Justin Bieber is expected to attend the ceremony with his wife, Hailey, who has been a strong support throughout his career comeback.

After taking a few years off from music to focus on his health, Justin Bieber made a strong return in 2025 with his new album, SWAG.

Lady Gaga is nominated for three major awards this year: Album of the Year for MAYHEM, and both Record and Song of the Year for her single, Abracadabra. This is the first time in her career she’s been nominated for all three at the same time.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m keeping a close eye on this artist! She’s originally from New York but now calls LA home, and she’s got a real shot at several awards. She’s nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and even in the dance and traditional pop categories. It’s exciting to see her album, Harlequin, getting recognition, as it’s her only nomination this year!

Jack Antonoff, known as both a musician and producer, has earned two nominations in the major categories at the awards show: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year, thanks to his work with Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter.

I was so excited when he created Carpenter’s next album after their Grammy win with ‘Short N’ Sweet’! It’s called ‘Man’s Best Friend’, and he even wrote the fantastic title track for it. It’s a real standout!

Jack Antonoff produced the album GNX, which includes the song ‘Luther’ featuring Kendrick Lamar. This collaboration earned Antonoff his first Best Rap Song nomination for ‘Tv Off,’ a track featuring Lefty Gunplay.

Jack Antonoff will compete against producer Cirkut, who also received seven nominations for his work on Lady Gaga’s album, MAYHEM.

He is also the musical mind behind Rosé and Bruno Mars’s hit single APT.

Thanks to hits like Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” MAYHEM’s first single, and Rosé’s song with Mars, Cirkut has earned two nominations at the 2026 awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Along with albums by Lady Gaga (MAYHEM) and Kendrick Lamar (GNX), the nominees for Album of the Year also include releases from Carpenter (Man’s Best Friend), Bad Bunny (Debí Tirar Más Fotos), Justin Bieber (SWAG), Clipse, Pusha T & Malice (Let God Sort Em Out), Leon Thomas (MUTT), and Tyler, the Creator (Chromakopia).

For the first time ever, three albums – GNX, Let God Sort Em Out, and Chromakopia – have been nominated for both Best Rap Album and Album of the Year.

Bad Bunny’s album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, is just the second album sung entirely in Spanish to be nominated for the highest award.

Bad Bunny, Carpenter, Leon Thomas and Serban Ghenea all boast six nominations.

Andrew Watt, the production team behind Clipse, rapper Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile, and Tyler, the Creator have each earned five nominations.

This year’s Best New Artist nominees include the girl group Katseye, along with Olivia Dean, The Marias, Addison Rae, Sombr, Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.

The nominees for Record of the Year are Bad Bunny with “DtMF”, Sabrina Carpenter with “Manchild”, Doechii with “Anxiety”, Billie Eilish with “Wildflower”, Lady Gaga with “Abracadabra”, Lamar and SZA with “luther,” Chappell Roan with “The Subway and Rosé,” and Mars with “APT.”

Many fans were surprised to see Billie Eilish’s song “Wildflower” nominated for a Grammy, as it appeared on her 2024 album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, which came out before the eligibility period for nominations.

As a longtime Grammy follower, I’ve learned there’s a fascinating rule about album eligibility. Basically, an album released near the end of one Grammy cycle can sometimes be considered for the next year’s awards, as long as the songs weren’t submitted the year before and the album didn’t already win a Grammy. There are a few specific situations where this doesn’t apply, but that’s the general idea!

By that rule, Wildflower, which was not previously entered, is eligible for the 2026 ceremony.

Song of the Year is the final award in the major categories. It celebrates the songwriters – and sometimes the artists who perform the songs – behind the most popular tracks of the year.

The nominees for Song Of The Year are nearly identical to those up for Record Of The Year.

The only change is that “The Subway” by Chappell Roan has been swapped out for “Golden” from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack.

Singers, composers, producers and musicians alike will compete across 95 categories.

The 2026 list of nominees includes several new faces, such as Tate McRae, Zara Larsson, and PinkPantheress.

Taylor Swift, a hugely popular and award-winning artist, didn’t receive any Grammy nominations this year, even though she released a new album last year.

Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, is the eagerly awaited sequel to her 2024 release, The Tortured Poets Department, which earned her a Grammy Award for Album of the Year last year.

As a huge Taylor fan, I was a little disappointed she didn’t quite qualify for the 2026 list. It was so close! Her film, The Life of a Showgirl, came out on October 3, 2025 – which, how sweet is this, is also Travis Kelce’s birthday! It just makes everything even more special.

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2026-02-02 02:55