Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Becoming and Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz’s Beastie Boys Book have earned Best Spoken Word Album GRAMMY Award® nominations, both published by Penguin Random House Audio.
Michelle Obama’s bestselling memoir Becoming has been on the New York Times’ Audio Nonfiction Best Seller List since its publication in November 2018, spending 7 months in the #1 slot.
This is the First Lady’s second GRAMMY® nomination; her book about the White House garden, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, was a Best Spoken Word album nominee in 2013.
Listening to Becoming is a particularly personal way to experience the First Lady’s story. Booklist says, “Who but Obama herself could narrate the story of her life? With impeccable pacing, the former First Lady’s warm reading immediately pulls listeners close for what feels like an intimate chat with a friend.”
Listen to a clip of Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Beastie Boys Book audiobook brings together more than 40 of the Beastie Boys’ friends and collaborators to voice a dynamic interpretation of the highly visual book. The cast includes musicians Jeff Tweedy, Bette Midler, and Elvis Costello; comedians Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph; journalists Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart; actors Bobby Cannavale and John C. Reilly, and many more (see a full list here).
The Beastie Boys Book audio has been praised for its nontraditional approach to the audiobook format. Rolling Stone named it their 2018 Audiobook of the Year and Vulture said, “The Beastie Boys Book shows where audiobooks can go. It’s more than just the cameo-rich cast of dozens; it’s the attempt to make the audiobook an entirely distinct experience.”
The Beastie Boys have earned 3 previous GRAMMYs for their music (including Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album), and 7 additional GRAMMY nominations.
Listen to a clip of Beastie Boys Book by Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz
The nominations were announced this morning by the Recording Academy®; the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be presented Sunday, January 26, 2020 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Penguin Random House Audio titles have previously earned 15 GRAMMY Awards, including the 2018 Best Spoken Word Album winner, Carrie Fisher’s The Princess Diarist, and 46 additional GRAMMY nominations.
