In a remarkable moment at the 2025 Grammy Awards, the late US President Jimmy Carter was posthumously awarded his fourth Grammy for best audiobook narration.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This recognition, for his narration of ‘Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration’ is his fourth Grammy win, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The album, released in August 2024, less than two months before Carter’s 100th birthday, features a collection of folk songs and Sunday school lessons from the former president.
Carter passed away on December 29, just days before the ceremony. His grandson, Jason Carter, accepted the prestigious award on his behalf, delivering a heartfelt speech in honour of the late president’s legacy.
“My grandfather was incredibly important to me,” Jason said, adding, “Over these last few weeks, we’ve felt this enormous outpouring of love from all around the world, from many of the people in this room, and I just want to say that having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Jason continued by acknowledging Kabir Sehgal, who played a vital role in the album’s creation by providing instrumental arrangements.
“Kabir has been a part of our family, and close with our family, for a long time,” Jason noted, emphasising Sehgal’s contributions and the initial idea for the audiobook.
The emotional moment also saw Jason express gratitude to other notable figures involved in the project, including Jon Batiste, LeAnn Rimes, and Darius Rucker.
He also paid tribute to Carter’s long-time congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church, where the former president had taught Sunday school for five decades.
“This brings it home in such a real way,” Jason said, adding, “Thank you to the folks at the Carter Center, we really appreciate all of you very, very much,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.
In winning this Grammy, Carter surpassed Maya Angelou’s record for the most wins in the audiobook category.
His earlier wins included accolades for ‘Faith – A Journey For All’ (2018), ‘A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety (2015), and ‘Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis’ (2005). Over his lifetime, Carter received nine Grammy nominations.
Carter’s posthumous win came in the face of stiff competition, with other nominees including Barbra Streisand’s ‘My Name Is Barbra’, Dolly Parton’s ‘Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones’, George Clinton’s ‘…And Your A*s Will Follow’, and Guy Oldfield’s ‘All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words’.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards are being hosted by Trevor Noah, and streaming live on Sunday (early Monday morning in India) from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with the premiere ceremony streaming earlier on YouTube via the Recording Academy’s channel.
For the Indian audience, the Grammy 2025 will stream live exclusively on Disney Plus Hotstar.-ANI