Established in 1954, the Grammy Awards are widely regarded as the pinnacle of musical honours based on their role in helping to spotlight and celebrate extraordinary musical talents across the globe.
The 2025 Grammy Awards, held on Sunday, February 2, was another commemoration of music’s biggest night that saw Nigeria’s Tems grab a second Grammy in a space of 2 years. Truly sensational!
I know you’re probably wondering what the Grammy is doing on a platform dedicated to discussing issues in the voice-over industry. Before you protest, let me help you connect the dots.
Did you know that the prestigious Grammy Award has a category for non-musical performances? It is known as the Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration, & Storytelling Recording—all established genres in the voiceover industry—which technically makes it a voiceover award or something close. Well, if you weren’t aware, now you know.
The award, which was formerly known as the Best Spoken Word Album between 1998 and 2022 before its latest modification in 2023, has had several minor name changes since it was first awarded in 1959.
Against this background, here is a list of Grammy-winning voiceover artists over the past decade.
- 2014: Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert, born on May 13, 1964, is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, singer, and television host. Colbert won the award for his 2012 satirical audiobook
“America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t,” making for his second Grammy win as well as his third Grammy nomination overall.
- 2015: Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky, known professionally as Joan Rivers, was born on June 8, 1933. She was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer, and television host, noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona. She is considered a pioneer of women in comedy. She won the Grammy for her work, “Diary of a Mad Diva.”.
- 2016, 2019, 2025: Jimmy Carter
The American politician and humanitarian, James Earl Carter Jr., born October 1, 1924, has the highest number of Grammys (4) in this category.
Carter served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Prior to his death in 2024, he was the longest-lived president in U.S. history and the first to reach the age of 100.
His works, “A Full Life: Reflections at 90,” “Faith: A Journey for All,” and “Last Sunday in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” won him the Grammy in 2016, 2019, and 2025, respectively.
- 2017: Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett, born April 26, 1933, is an American comedian, actress, and singer. Her comedy-variety series, The Carol Burnett Show, which originally aired on CBS, was one of the first to be hosted by a woman. Burnett’s memoir, “In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox,” earned a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2017.
- 2018: Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She won the Grammy with her 2016 memoir “The Princess Diarist,” based on diaries she kept as a young woman around the time she starred in the 1977 film Star Wars.
- 2020, 2024: Michelle Obama
Her critically acclaimed memoirs, Becoming (2020) and The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (2024) in audio format, both earned the former US first lady a Grammy award.
Born on January 17, 1964, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is an American attorney and author. She is also the wife of former US president Barack Obama, who was also a recipient of the highly prized Grammy award in 2006 and 2008.
- 2021: Rachel Maddie
Born Rachel Anne Maddow on April 1, 1973, Maddie is an American television news program host and liberal political commentator. She won the Grammy with her non-fiction audiobook Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth.
Her work delved into the corruption in the oil and gas industry and the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.
- 2022: Don Cheadle
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (born November 29, 1964) is an American actor; one of a few actors to have received nominations for the EGOT—an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. His work, Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation from John Lewis, won the award in 2022.
- 2023: Viola Davis
Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of her generation, Davis is also an author and film producer. Her accolades include both the Triple Crown of Acting and the EGOT awards. She got a Grammy for herself with her memoir in audiobook form, “Finding Me.”.
Without a doubt, these names have proven their mettle with their wins and shown to all top and rising talents in the voiceover industry that the impossible is nothing.
However, considering the above list and essence of the Grammy—which is to celebrate music and musical talents across the world—as well as the characteristics of voice-over artists, can you categorise this award as a voice-over award? Do you think voice-over artists deserve an exclusive Grammy category? What should it be called? Now, we ponder…
Think you deserve a Grammy as a voice-over artist? Get to work!
Let us have your take in the comments.
Written by Chukwudimma Jude Ndubuisi,
Editor at VoiceVerse NG.
