You Might Be Surprised That These People Won Grammys
Contrary to popular opinion, music’s biggest night isn’t just for musicians. While the Grammys are primarily known for selecting the best and most successful singers, songwriters and instrumentalists, some award categories lend themselves to other talents and a broader range of honorees.
Take the Best Spoken Word Album category, for example. This year it includes a comedian (Amy Poehler, for her audio book “Yes Please”), a poet/writer/singer (Patti Smith for her narration of Jo Nesbø’s novel “Blood on Snow”), a former president (Jimmy Carter for narrating his memoir “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety”), a singer and actress (Janis Ian and Jean Smart for their voicework on the audiobook for Isabelle Miller’s “Patience and Sarah”), and a former talk show host (Dick Cavett for narrating his memoir “Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks”). As you can see, it’s a pretty mixed bag.
The Best Comedy Album category is another area where surprising names - in the context of the Grammys - frequently pop up. And for many comics on TV, it provides the perfect opportunity to pair their Emmys with a Grammy (ahem, Jon Stewart).
