Grammys 2023: Viola Davis wins award for audiobook, makes history as 3rd black woman to achieve EGOT status

Actor Viola Davis has won the Grammy for her book Finding Me, and achieved EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status. She accepted the audio book, narration and storytelling recording award for Finding Me during the 65th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on Sunday, in Los Angeles. (Also read: Grammy Awards 2023: Full list of winners from Beyonce to Harry Styles)

The Grammy win made the 57 year-old actor to achieve EGOT status, that means an artist who has won all four of the major American entertainment awards, including an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, reflecting their work in television, music, film and theatre. Viola had previously won a Tony for her performances in both King Hedley II (2001) and Fences (2010), an Emmy for How to Get Away With Murder (2015), and an Oscar for Fences (2017). Viola is the third black woman to achieve this title after Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Hudson, and the 18th person in history to join the club that includes names like Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, Mike Nichols and John Legend.

Viola took the stage to accept her Grammy and enthusiastically said, “Oh my God, I wrote this book to honor the six-year-old Viola, to honor her, to honor her life, her joy, her trauma, her everything. And it has been such a journey. I just EGOT! She went on to thank the publisher HarperCollins, and to “everybody who was a part of my story, and the best chapter yet, my loves [husband Julius Tennon and 12-year-old daughter Genesis]. You are my life and my joy, the best chapter in my book. Thank you!” She was nominated in the category alongside Mel Brooks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Questlove and Jamie Foxx, who were all Grammy winners.

Viola also took to Instagram to post about her Grammy win, and wrote, “The 6 year old Viola is screaming!!!!! She is so excited at the 57 year old she will become.” The 65th Grammy Awards which was held on Sunday, was hosted by Trevor Noah for the 3rd consecutive time. Harry Styles’ album Harry’s House won the top award of the night for Album of the Year.