Michelle Obama has won Best Spoken Word Album for her audiobook Becoming. 

Obama surprised the world when she made an appearance last year during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards. This year, she has earned her own GRAMMY nod for her audiobook, Becoming, which shares her journey from a little girl from the South Side of Chicago to lawyer and the First Lady of the United States.

Obama beat out fellow nominees Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt and Dan Zitt (Beastie Boys Book), Eric Alexandrakis (I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor), John Waters (Mr. Know-It-All) and Sekou Andrews & The String Theory (Sekou Andrews & The String Theory).

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

Presidents and politicians aren't the first people usually associated with GRAMMY season, but surprisingly, several of them — and first ladies, too — have added golden gramophones to their collections of awards.

In fact, at the 2024 GRAMMYs, former First Lady Michelle Obama claimed her second GRAMMY, for her bestselling memoir, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times. Four years earlier, her first bestselling book, Becoming, which documented her rise from Chicago's South Side to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, also won a GRAMMY (more on her and husband Barack later).

Obama's latest victory is one of several political GRAMMY wins and nominations that date back to 1965. At the 7th GRAMMY Awards, the late former President John F. Kennedy and former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson — who ran for president twice — each earned nominations for their contributions to The Kennedy Wit, a compilation of Kennedy's most famous and humorous anecdotes. The audio version was nominated for Best Documentary, Spoken Word Or Drama Recording (Other Than Comedy).

And though those nominations didn't turn into wins, there have been a few political figures who have won the coveted trophies. This Presidents' Day, we salute the former presidents, their spouses and even some would-be presidents who sit among the ranks of GRAMMY winners.

Jimmy Carter

Leading the pack is the 39th U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, who has three wins out of nine nominations to his credit, making him the most honored politician in GRAMMY history. All of his wins and nominations are in the Best Spoken Word Album Category.

The prolific Carter won his first GRAMMY at the 48th ceremony in 2006 for Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis and his most recent for Faith: A Journey for All at the 61st telecast in 2018. He also won in 2015 for A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety.

Carter earned his first GRAMMY nomination in 1997, 17 years after leaving office, for the audio adaptation of his 13th book, Living Faith. His other nods came in 1998, 2001, 2007, 2009 and 2014.

Bill & Hillary Rodham Clinton

Former president Bill Clinton earned two terms in 1992 and 1996, but Hillary Rodham Clinton, his first lady, beat him to GRAMMYs glory. Not long after he won re-election in 1996, Hillary won her first GRAMMY for It Takes a Village, which won Best Spoken Word Album at the 39th ceremony in 1997. Her album Living History landed a second nomination in the Category in 2004; though she didn't take home the GRAMMY, Bill was a winner that year. He won Best Spoken Word Album For Children for his role in Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks

The following year, at the 47th GRAMMYs, Bill won in the Best Spoken Word Album Category for his memoir, My Life. Additional nominations followed in 2007 for Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, and in 2012 for Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy, both in the same Category.

The Clinton administration also (sort of) had a claim on Best Spoken Word Album at the 51st GRAMMYs in 2009, thanks to Cynthia Nixon's audiobook reading of the bestseller An Inconvenient Truth, written by Al Gore, who served as vice president under Clinton during both terms.

Barack & Michelle Obama

The Obama family may not have penned as many books as Carter (at least not yet), but collectively, former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle outpace him with four GRAMMYs, two apiece. 

Barack's two wins are both in the Best Spoken Word Album Category for audio adaptations of two books published before his presidency: the memoir Dreams from My Father in 2005 and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream in 2007. His third nomination in the Category came at the 64th GRAMMY awards in 2022 for "A Promised Land."

As previously mentioned, Michelle Obama is two for two with her GRAMMY nominations. She first won for her 2018 memoir, Becoming, which took home Best Spoken Word Album at the 62nd GRAMMYs in 2020, and four years later, she won Best Audio Book, Narration, And Storytelling Recording for The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times. (And before any of her nominations, in 2019, Michelle was part of a girl-powered surprise intro segment alongside Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett Smith and then-host Alicia Keys.)

Notable Nominations

Thirteen years after John F. Kennedy earned the first presidential GRAMMY nomination, former President Harry S. Truman was nominated for "The Truman Tapes," in the Best Spoken Word Recording Category (which is the same as Kennedy's Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording (Other Than Comedy) Category, and is now known as the Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording as of press time) in 1978.

Former President Richard Nixon earned a nomination in the same Category the next year, for his televised interviews with journalist David Frost, packaged as The Nixon Interviews With David Frost.

In 2015 — five years before her 2020 presidential run — Sen. Elizabeth Warren earned her first GRAMMY nomination for the adaptation of her bestselling book, A Fighting Chance, in the Best Spoken Word Album Category at the 57th GRAMMYs.

U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate Bernie Sanders earned a nomination in the same Category in 2017, for the reading of Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In. Like Michelle Obama, he earned his second GRAMMY nomination at the 2024 GRAMMYs, in the same category as the victorious former first lady (Best Audio Book, Narration, And Storytelling Recording) for his book It's Ok To Be Angry About Capitalism. 

With two GRAMMY nominations (and one win) in 2024, it's clear that, even nearly 60 years on, political figures will continue to be prominent in the GRAMMY sphere. 

10 Must-See Moments From The 2024 GRAMMYs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Billy Joel & Tracy Chapman Return, Boygenius Manifest Childhood Dreams

As momentous as the 2024 GRAMMYs telecast will be, it will only cover a fraction of the actual GRAMMY nominations.

The realities of TV broadcasting mean the wider world only gets to see, not the whole iceberg, but merely the tip. This by way of its head-turning, world-shifting General Field Categories including Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and Best New Artist.

Yes, the General Field Categories boast the most visibility. But while they may be listed at the top of the nominations list, they are never meant to overshadow those beneath — not by a long shot.

That’s why the Recording Academy puts so much time, intention and care into the Premiere Ceremony, which annually precedes the main GRAMMYs telecast. And by all accounts, the 2024 iteration will be one for the ages.

The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards Ceremony & Livestream will air at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on live.GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy's YouTube channel. City National Bank, the Official Bank of the GRAMMY Awards, is returning for its second year as the presenting sponsor of the Premiere Ceremony.

The Premiere Ceremony is the most incredible lead-up to Music's Biggest Night," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement. "With an amazing line-up of presenters and performers, we'll reveal and celebrate the winners of more than 80 Categories, spanning the diverse genres and crafts that have contributed to such a spectacular year in music."

Read on for a list of four reasons to be thrilled for the Premiere Ceremony — and we’ll see you on the stream!

A Star-Studded Opening Number

The opening performance at the Premiere Ceremony is always a highlight, and this year promises to be no exception: J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, J. Ivy is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, for The Light Inside. Poe is up for Best Contemporary Blues Album, for Blood Harmony. For Holidays Around the World, Pentatonix earned a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Finally, for her feature on for KING & COUNTRY’s “Love Me Like I Am,” Sparks is up for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. (E., though being a four-time GRAMMY nominee, is not nominated at the 2024 GRAMMYs.)

Stellar Performers All Around

The rest of the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will feature brilliant performers. These musicians will showcase the wide range of genres the Academy celebrates on GRAMMY night, as well as the diverse creators in the Academy and the music industry at large.

These include current nominees Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark, Kirk Franklin, Robert Glasper, Bob James, Laufey, Terrace Martin, and Gaby Moreno and David Aguilar, as well as GRAMMY-nominated recording artist/drummer Harvey Mason Sr.

The Music’s In Great Hands

The music producer and music director of the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will be Cheche Alara, a GRAMMY-and Latin GRAMMY-winning music master who has worked on titanic albums by Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Natalia Lafourcade, and many more.

With Alara at the helm, the Premiere Ceremony won’t just celebrate music — it’ll be a bastion of outstanding music itself.

You Get The Complete GRAMMYs Experience

Don’t think of the Premiere Ceremony as the mere ramp-up to the 2024 GRAMMYs; think of them as two pieces of one GRAMMYs experience.

By carefully watching the Premiere Ceremony as well as the main telecast, you get the entire sense of where music is headed, through the lens of the world’s leading society of music people.

So tune into both the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony and the 2024 GRAMMYs themselves — if you love this universal artform, and wish to elevate it, join us on Feb. 4 for Music’s Biggest Night!

How To Watch The 2024 GRAMMYs Live: GRAMMY Nominations, Performers, Air Date, Red Carpet, Streaming Channel & More

GRAMMY night just got bigger! The Recording Academy has announced performers and presenters, as well as the host, for the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony. The Premiere Ceremony kicks off with an opening number featuring a performance by J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks. Other artists scheduled to perform include current nominees Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark, Kirk Franklin, Robert Glasper, Bob James, Laufey, Terrace Martin, and Gaby Moreno and El David Aguilar, as well as GRAMMY-nominated recording artist/drummer Harvey Mason Sr. Acclaimed songwriter/producer and activist Justin Tranter, who is currently nominated for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical, will host the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony.

Presenters at the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony include Patti Austin, Natalia Lafourcade, Carly Pearce, Molly Tuttle, Rufus Wainwright, and five-time GRAMMY winner and former Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Jimmy Jam. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and Chair of the Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt will provide opening remarks.

Taking place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles hours before the 2024 GRAMMYs, the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony, is a special presentation in which the majority of the night’s GRAMMY Awards are awarded. The 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will stream live on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com. City National Bank, the Official Bank of the GRAMMY Awards, is returning for its second year as the presenting sponsor of the Premiere Ceremony.

"The Premiere Ceremony is the most incredible lead-up to Music's Biggest Night," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "With an amazing line-up of presenters and performers, we'll reveal and celebrate the winners of more than 80 Categories, spanning the diverse genres and crafts that have contributed to such a spectacular year in music."

Learn more about the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony performers, presenters and host, who are all mostly current nominees at the 2024 GRAMMYs, below.

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Austin is nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album (For Ella 2 Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band); Blackstone is nominated for Best Jazz Performance ("Vulnerable (Live)" Featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté) and Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn).

Meanwhile, Clark is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album (Shucked), Best Country Solo Performance ("Buried"), Best Country Song ("Buried"), Best Americana Performance ("Dear Insecurity" Featuring Brandi Carlile), Best American Roots Song ("Dear Insecurity" Featuring Brandi Carlile), and Best Americana Album (Brandy Clark).

Franklin is nominated for Best Gospel Performance/Song ("All Things"); Glasper is nominated for Best R&B Performance ("Back To Love" Featuring SiR & Alex Isley) and Best R&B Song ("Back To Love" Featuring SiR & Alex Isley).

James is nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (Jazz Hands); J. Ivy is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album (The Light Inside); Lafourcade is nominated for Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album (De Todas Las Flores).

Larkin Poe is nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album (Blood Harmony); Laufey is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Bewitched); Martin is nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album (Nova with James Fauntleroy).

Moreno is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album (X Mí (Vol.1)); Pearce is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance ("We Don't Fight Anymore" Featuring Chris Stapleton); Pentatonix is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Holidays Around The World).

Sparks is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song ("Love Me Like I Am" with for KING & COUNTRY); Tranter is nominated for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical; Tuttle is nominated for Best Bluegrass Album (City Of Gold with Golden Highway); Wainwright is nominated for Best Folk Album (Folkocracy).

The 2024 GRAMMYs will broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT. See here for the full list of nominees at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Learn more about how to watch the 2024 GRAMMYs. See the full list of performers and host at the 2024 GRAMMYs to date.

The 66th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony is produced by Branden Chapman, Ruby Marchand, Chantel Sausedo, and Rex Supa on behalf of the Recording Academy. Greg V. Fera is executive producer and Cheche Alara is music producer and music director.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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