When it comes to the Grammys, artists like Jay-Z and Bruno Mars were anticipated to earn nominations. However, one nominee might have come as a bit of surprise this year: Bernie Sanders.
Sanders was nominated for a Grammy in the spoken word category for his reading of the audiobook version of “Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In,” along with actor Mark Ruffalo.
Competition in the category this year is pretty fierce. Other contenders include Bruce Springsteen for “Born to Run,” Neil Degrasse Tyson for “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” Carrie Fisher for “The Princess Diarist,” and Shelly Peiken for “Confessions of a Serial Songwriter.”
While Sanders’ nomination might be seen as a bit out of the ordinary for a political candidate, it’s anything but. A number of political figures have been nominated in the category before, and some have even won.
Barack Obama, for instance, won the Grammy in 2006 for his reading of “Dreams From My Father”and in 2008 for his reading of “The Audacity of Hope.” Bill Clinton won a Grammy in 2005, and Jimmy Carter won Grammys in 2007 and 2016.
Sanders’ opponent in the 2016 Presidential Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton, was also nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for her memoir “Living History” and won the award in 1997 for “It Takes a Village,” an audiobook she recorded while she was the First Lady.