Former president Barack Obama wins an Emmy for narrating national parks series

Former president Barack Obama is now halfway to gaining EGOT status. The 61-year-old won the best narrator Emmy Award on Saturday for his work on the Netflix documentary series, "Our Great National Parks." The latest award joins the two Grammys Obama won for his audiobook reading of two of his memoirs, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" and "Dreams From My Father." This puts the father-of-two just two awards away from being a certified EGOT winner—someone who has received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.

According to Deadline, Obama nabbed the Outstanding Narrator award by defeating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ("Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War"), David Attenborough ("The Mating Game"), W. Kamau Bell ("We Need to Talk About Cosby") and Lupita Nyong'o ("Serengeti II") in a star-studded category. Because the former president wasn't present at the awards, presenter RuPaul accepted on his behalf to enthusiastic applause. The win makes Obama the second president to win an Emmy, after Dwight Eisenhower, who was awarded an honorary Governors Award by the Television Academy while he was still in office in 1956, and the first to win a competitive award for a specific television project.

The five-part Netflix documentary series "Our Great National Parks," was created by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground. It shines the spotlight on some of the planet's most spectacular national parks across five continents and features locations including Chilean Patagonia and Indonesia. The series—which launched in April this year—is part of the multiyear film and TV deal that the Obamas struck with Netflix after leaving office in 2017. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Obama received the Emmy for his work in the episode titled "A World of Wonder," which explores Africa's beaches, Japan's islands and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. He is also 2009’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient and was previously nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy in 2016 for "David Attenborough Meets President Obama." Only 17 people have gained EGOT status to date, including Rita Moreno and John Legend, reports The Guardian. The youngest and most recent EGOT winner is Jennifer Hudson, who secured her status at this year's Tonys by taking home Best Musical for "A Strange Loop," at just 40 years of age.

The late Chadwick Boseman was also honored with a posthumous Emmy on Saturday for his voice work. The "Black Panther" star won for outstanding character voiceover for his role in the Disney+ and Marvel Studios animated series "What If...?". In the show, Boseman—who died of cancer, in 2020 at age 43—voiced his character "T'Challa" in an alternate universe where he becomes Star-Lord from "Guardians of the Galaxy." It was one of the last projects he worked on before his death.

Accepting the honor on behalf of the late actor, his wife Taylor Simone Ledward reportedly said: "When I learned Chad was nominated, I started thinking of everything that was going on in the world and our world and being so in awe of his commitment and dedication. What a beautiful moment that one of the last things he would work on was something so important to him and to the world but also something new. You can't understand your purpose unless you ask what if? What if the universe is conspiring in my favor? What if it's me? Chad would be so honored and I am honored on his behalf."