Oldest Grammy Awards nominee

Jimmy Carter (b. James Earl Carter Jr, 1 October 1924), the 39th President of the United States (1977–81), was 100 years 38 days old on 8 November 2024, the day he was confirmed as a 67th Grammy Awards nominee in the category Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording. His nominated work, the 10-track spoken-word album Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration, features five Grammy-winning vocalists – Keb’ Mo’ (b. Kevin Moore), Nicole Zuraitis, Darius Rucker, Jon Batiste and LeAnn Rimes – and music by Kabir Sehgal, renditions of classics such as “America the Beautiful” and “Amazing Grace”, and recordings from Carter’s Sunday school lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.

Carter is already a three-time winner in the same category, back when it was presented as Best Spoken Word Album. Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis (2007), A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety (2016) and Faith: A Journey for All (2019) tied Maya Angelou’s (1994, 1996 and 2003) record for the most category wins. (Together with John Gielgud, Carter is also the most nominated individual for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording, collecting his 10 nominations since 1998.)

Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand are among his competition at the 67th Grammys, when Carter will hope to become the oldest-ever winner of a golden gramophone trophy – succeeding Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins (b. 7 July 1913), who was 97 years 221 days old when he won Best Traditional Blues Album at the 53rd Grammys on 13 February 2011. Carter will be 100 years 124 days old when the prize-giving ceremony returns to the crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on 2 February 2025.

Carter, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development", is the oldest living US President. He has been in hospice care since February 2023 and is “coming to the end” of his days, according to his family.