After winning his first Emmy for outstanding narrator, former US president Barack Obama is now halfway to an EGOT.
Obama provided the narration for the five episodes of the Netflix documentary “Our Great National Parks,” which cover locations from Patagonia, Chile, to Tsavo, Kenya. The first episode, “A World of Wonder,” was submitted by Netflix for Emmy consideration.
Only 17 people have ever won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award, so if Obama were to ever win both the Tony and the Academy Award, he would complete the EGOT.
Obamas produced the documentary “American Factory” under their company Higher Ground, which won an Oscar in 2020, but neither received the award personally. The documentary tells the tale of what transpires when a Chinese company establishes an automotive glass manufacturing facility at a former General Motors facility in Ohio while contending with fierce community opposition and cultural disparities.
Obama has also received three Grammy nominations, winning two for “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream” in 2008 and 2006 for “Dreams From My Father,” the best spoken word album. Obama received a nomination in this category again this year for “A Promised Land,” but Don Cheadle won the award for John Lewis’ “Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation.”
The Obamas’ Higher Ground and Audible, owned by Amazon, entered into an agreement in June to collaborate on a number 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 created as part of the agreement won’t be restricted to Audible. Instead, the businesses intend to make the shows accessible on a variety of podcasting platforms.
