Barack Obama is officially halfway to an EGOT, as the former president of the United States nabbed his first Emmy for outstanding narrator.
Obama lent his voice to the Netflix docuseries “Our Great National Parks,” narrating its five episodes that span from Patagonia, Chile, to Tsavo, Kenya. Netflix submitted the first episode, “A World of Wonder,” for Emmy consideration.
If Obama were to ever win a Tony award and the Academy Award, he would achieve full EGOT status for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — a feat just 17 people have achieved so far.
In 2020, the documentary “American Factory,” which both Barack and Michelle Obama produced under their banner, Higher Ground won an Oscar, but neither personally took home the Oscar. The doc tells the story of what happens when a Chinese company opens an automotive glass plant at a former General Motors location in Ohio, facing intense community skepticism and cultural differences.
Obama has also been nominated for three Grammys, winning two for best spoken word album, in 2006 for “Dreams From My Father” and in 2008 for “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.” This year, Obama was recognized once again in the category, for “A Promised Land,” but lost to Don Cheadle for John Lewis’ “Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation.”
In June, the Obamas’ Higher Ground formed a pact with Amazon-owned audio platform Audible, agreeing to produce a slate of projects that “will reflect the companies’ shared mission to tell meaningful and entertaining stories that elevate diverse voices and experiences.” The Higher Ground originals produced under the deal won’t be exclusively available on Audible. Rather, the companies plan to make the programs available across a wide range of podcast platforms.