Oscars 2025: Cynthia Erivo Misses Chance to Become Youngest EGOT Amid Academy Award Loss; DEETS

Cynthia Erivo lost the Best Actress Oscar at the 97th Academy Awards, missing her chance to become the youngest EGOT winner at 38. The award went to Mikey Madison for Anora.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 03, 2025 | 03:36 PM IST | 17K

Cynthia Erivo (via Getty Images))

Cynthia Erivo did not win the Oscar for Best Actress at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night. The award went to Mikey Madison for her role in Anora. Erivo, 38, was nominated for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked.

This was her third chance to complete the EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony as per Entertainment Weekly. Other nominees in the category included Demi Moore (The Substance), Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), and Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez).

This was not Erivo’s first time at the Oscars. In 2019, she was nominated for Best Actress and Best Original Song for Harriet. She lost to Renée Zellweger (Judy) in the acting category and to Elton John and Bernie Taupin for Best Original Song. Her song, Stand Up, was a major success and showcased her talent.

Erivo’s nomination for Wicked was seen as a strong opportunity to complete her EGOT. However, Madison’s performance in Anora was a favorite among critics.

Erivo has won three of the four major awards. She won a Tony in 2016 for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Celie in The Color Purple. In 2017, she won a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album for the same production.

That same year, she also won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program for a talk show performance of The Color Purple.

If she had won the Oscar, she would have become the youngest EGOT winner at 38. The current youngest winners are Robert Lopez, John Legend, and the songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who all achieved EGOT status at 39.

Erivo may still have another chance to complete the EGOT soon. She will return as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good, the sequel to Wicked, set to release next year. If she earns another Oscar nomination for the role, she could join the list of EGOT winners.