Former President Jimmy Carter has been awarded a posthumous Grammy, marking his fourth win in the spoken word category.
Carter, who passed away in December at the age of 100, was nominated for his audiobook “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration”. The recording features Carter’s final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia, along with musical contributions from artists like Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Rimes, and Jon Batiste.
This win adds to Carter's legacy of three previous Grammy Awards for spoken word albums. If he had won the award before his death, Carter would have become the oldest Grammy winner in history. The current record-holder for the oldest winner is Pinetop Perkins, who was 97 when he won in 2011.
Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, who chairs The Carter Center's governing board, accepted the award on his behalf. In his acceptance speech, Jason expressed deep gratitude: “Having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable. Thank you to the academy.”
In this year's category, Jimmy Carter triumphed over nominees such as Barbra Streisand, George Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Guy Oldfield. Had Streisand won, it would have marked her first Grammy in 38 years .
Barack Obama and Bill Clinton each have two Grammys, and Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton have each won as well. Other former presidents, such as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, were nominated for Grammys but did not win.