Late US President Jimmy Carter Wins Posthumous Grammy

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."

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."

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 were hosted by Trevor Noah in Los Angeles earlier this week.