Barack Obama has once again added an Emmy to his growing collection. The former U.S. President was named Outstanding Narrator at the Creative Arts Emmys for Our Oceans, Netflix’s sweeping five-part natural history series.
The victory marks his third consecutive Emmy in as many years, following wins for Working: What We Do All Day in 2023 and Our Great National Parks in 2022, both of which he produced.
In this year’s race, Obama triumphed over a lineup of acclaimed talents, including David Attenborough (Planet Earth: Asia), Idris Elba (Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Colour), Tom Hanks (The Americas), and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Octopus!).
Though he was not present at the ceremony, the Higher Ground co-founder’s achievement cements his standing as the only U.S. president to win competitive Emmys for specific projects. While Dwight Eisenhower did receive an Emmy in 1956, it was the non-competitive Governors Award rather than recognition for a single television programme.
Narrated by Obama, Our Oceans premiered on Netflix in November 2024. The series embarks on a 75,000-mile journey across and beneath the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic, and Southern oceans, drawing connections between human life and the creatures that inhabit Earth’s waters. It also examines how decisions made on land ripple into the marine world.
The series is executive produced by James Honeyborne (Blue Planet II) and produced by Freeborne Media alongside Wild Space Productions. Along with his three Emmys, Obama is also a Grammy winner—further expanding his reach from politics into entertainment and storytelling.
