Jimmy Carter died on Dec. 29 at age 100, after almost two years in hospice care. He lived longer than any U.S. president in history. And his influence extended beyond his tenure in the White House. After he was voted out and left office in 1981, Carter focused on philanthropy and humanitarianism, becoming especially well known for his work with Habitat for Humanity, and eventually earned a Nobel Peace Prize. He was also a prolific author, and in that capacity Carter became a three-time Grammy winner for his audiobooks. Now it looks like a forth win is coming.
According to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users, Carter is the frontrunner to win Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling for Last Sunday in Plains: A Centennial Celebration, with more than two-thirds of pundits (66.8 percent) betting on him to prevail, and for good reason. He has earned nine previous nominations for Best Spoken Word Album, winning for Our Endangered Values in 2007, A Full Life: Reflections at 90 in 2016, and Faith: A Journey for All in 2019. His current nomination is his first since poetry albums were spun off into a separate category.
Carter’s most recent win for Faith at age 94 made him the fourth-oldest Grammy winner in history. Pinetop Perkins holds the record: he won Best Traditional Blues Album for Joined at the Hip in 2011 when he was 97. He’s followed by Tony Bennett and George Burns, who both won Grammys at age 95: Bennett claimed Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Love for Sale in 2022, and Burns won Best Spoken Word Album for Gracie: A Love Story in 1991. Carter, at 100, would establish a new record.
The Grammys have a tendency to reward political figures, honoring Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton, as well as Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, while the likes of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have also received nominations in recent years. Only five individuals have won the award more than once, and three of them are politicians (Carter and both Obamas). Carter is currently tied with poet Maya Angelou for the most victories, so a fourth win for Carter would give him a new record in that regard as well.
Carter was already the favorite to win this year’s prize before his death, but his passing during the Grammys final-round voting period (Dec. 12 through Jan. 3) would seem to make him even more likely to prevail. Other iconic figures like Ray Charles, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Joan Rivers claimed trophies after they died, so Grammy voters have proved sentimental when it comes to celebrating the dearly departed. Gone, but not forgotten.
