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17 People You Didn't Know Had A Grammy
Martin Luther King Jr. is a Grammy winner.
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- Steve Martin has five Grammys for comedy and bluegrass music.
- Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have won Grammys for their audiobooks.
- Martin Luther King Jr. and Carrie Fisher were awarded posthumous spoken-word Grammys.
When you think of music's biggest night, you probably picture artists like Beyoncé and Paul McCartney, two of the top Grammy winners of all time.
But it's not just singers and musicians who are honored by the Recording Academy. Comedians, politicians, and activists have also taken home Grammy awards.
Here are 17 people you might be surprised to learn have won big at the Grammys.
Lily Tomlin won a Grammy for best comedy recording.Lily Tomlin.
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Actor and former stand-up comic Lily Tomlin took home a Grammy for best comedy recording in 1972 for her album "This Is A Recording." The album features her performance as telephone operator Ernestine, one of the most iconic characters she created.
Tomlin has been nominated a total of five times.
Steve Martin has five Grammys across multiple categories.Songwriters Edie Brickell and Steve Martin at the Grammy Awards.
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Since 1978, actor and comedian Steve Martin has won a total of five Grammys. In addition to two awards for best comedy album, Martin, who is also a bluegrass musician, has garnered a handful of music awards for his country and roots tunes.
Most recently, Martin's track "Love Has Come For You" won a Grammy for best American roots song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014. He was also nominated in 2015 and 2017.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson has a spoken-word Grammy for his work in HIV/AIDS prevention advocacy.Magic Johnson.
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Johnson won a spoken-word Grammy at the 35th Annual Awards for "What You Can Do to Avoid AIDS." The basketball legend, who announced in 1991 that he had been diagnosed with HIV, has been a vocal advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
Zach Braff won a Grammy for the "Garden State" soundtrack.Zach Braff, winner of best soundtrack compilation for "Garden State."
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"Garden State," Zach Braff's 2004 directorial debut, attracted a cult following. Part of the film's appeal is its indie-driven soundtrack, which earned Braff, who starred in the movie with Natalie Portman, a Grammy at the 47th award show.
Bill Clinton has won two Grammy awards.Bill Clinton.
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Clinton won his first Grammy in 2004 in the category of best spoken-word album for children for his narration of "Peter and the Wolf: Wolf Tracks." He won another Grammy for the audiobook narration of his memoir, "My Life," in 2005.
He was nominated twice more for narrating his subsequent books, "Giving: How Each Of Us Can Change The World" and "Back To Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy."
Hillary Rodham Clinton has also won a spoken-word Grammy.Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Grammy Awards.
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Hillary Rodham Clinton won a spoken-word Grammy in 1997 for "It Takes a Village," her non-fiction book about the future of children in America.
She was nominated again in the same category in 2004 for her White House memoir, "Living History."
"Weird Al" Yankovic's comedic songs have won him multiple Grammys.Weird Al Yankovic accepted the Grammy for best comedy album in 2004.
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For someone whose musical career is predicated on parody, "Weird Al" has made it big. In fact, the singer, who is known for hits like "Eat It" and "eBay," has five Grammys and 17 nominations to his name.
Stephen Colbert has two Grammys.Stephen Colbert at the Grammy Awards.
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Late-night host Stephen Colbert has won two Grammys out of his three nominations.
At the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, Colbert won best comedy album for "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!" Then, at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, the recording of his book "America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't" won a spoken-word award.
Martin Luther King Jr. was posthumously awarded a spoken-word Grammy.Martin Luther King Jr.
Associated Press
Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches made American history, but you might not know that the minister and activist was posthumously awarded a Grammy. In 1971, King was honored with a spoken word award for his anti-war speech "Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam."
Two of his more famous addresses, "I Have a Dream" and "We Shall Overcome," were also nominated for Grammys.
Barack Obama has won two spoken-word Grammys for his memoirs.Barack Obama.
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Former President Barack Obama won spoken-word Grammys for narrating the recordings of his books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream." He was nominated again in 2022 for narrating the audiobook of his presidential memoir, "A Promised Land."
Michelle Obama has also won two spoken-word Grammys for her memoirs.Michelle Obama.
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The former first lady's audiobook for her memoir "Becoming" won a spoken-word Grammy award in 2020. She won again in 2024 for "The Light We Carry."
Orson Welles won three spoken-word Grammys.Orson Welles.
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Filmmaker Orson Welles won three spoken-word Grammys. The first was for "Great American Documents," for which he read the Declaration of Independence. He also won the award for his masterpiece "Citizen Kane" and for the sci-fi radio play "Donovan's Brain."
Maya Angelou has three spoken-word Grammys.Maya Angelou at the Grammy Awards.
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In 1994, American poet Maya Angelou won her first spoken-word Grammy award for "On the Pulse of Morning," which she wrote for Bill Clinton's inauguration. She also won the award for her poetry collection "Phenomenal Woman" and for the autobiography "A Song Flung Up to Heaven."
Betty White also won a spoken-word Grammy.Betty White.
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Betty White won a Grammy at the 54th Annual Awards in 2012. The "Golden Girls" actor received a spoken-word award for her autobiography, "If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)."
Carrie Fisher won a posthumous spoken-word Grammy.Carrie Fisher.
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At the 60th Annual Awards in 2018, Carrie Fisher was posthumously awarded a spoken-word Grammy for her memoir, "The Princess Diarist."
Joaquin Phoenix's performance as Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" earned him a Grammy.Joaquin Phoenix.
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Joaquin Phoenix starred in the 2005 musical biopic "Walk the Line" as Johnny Cash. Phoenix's portrayal of the country singer earned him a Grammy for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.
Jimmy Carter has won three Grammys and could posthumously win a fourth this year.Jimmy Carter.
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The former president has won Grammys for best spoken-word album for three of his books: "Faith — A Journey For All," "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety" and "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis."
Carter, who died at the age of 100 in December, is nominated again at the 2025 Grammys for the audiobook "Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration."
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