Former United States President Barack Obama has won his third Emmy Award, taking home the trophy for Outstanding Narrator at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards for his work on Netflix's docuseries "Our Oceans."

The 64-year-old maintained a perfect record in the category, having won in both 2022 and 2023 for his narration on "Our Great National Parks" and "Working: What We Do All Day," respectively.

This year's award was announced on Sunday, September 7, during the second night of the Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles. Obama was not present to accept the honor in person; comedian Jordan Klepper accepted the statuette on his behalf. The award recognizes excellence in voice performance in non-fiction programming, a field that pits narrators against one another based solely on vocal delivery and storytelling skill.

"Our Oceans" is a five-part natural history series that debuted on Netflix in November 2024. Each episode explores one of the world's five oceans: the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Southern, and Arctic, and highlights the intricate relationships between marine wildlife and human actions. Obama's narration guides viewers through the migration of humpback whales in the Pacific, the impact of climate change on Arctic walruses, and the biodiversity of the Indian Ocean, among other topics.

The competition in the Outstanding Narrator category was formidable. Sir David Attenborough was nominated for "Planet Earth: Asia," Idris Elba for his World War II series "Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color," Tom Hanks for "The Americas," and Phoebe Waller-Bridge for "Octopus!." By securing his third Emmy, Obama joins a select group of narrators who have achieved multiple wins while balancing other high-profile creative roles.

As co-founder of Higher Ground Productions, Obama has expanded his post–White House career into filmmaking and storytelling. Higher Ground's partnership with Netflix has yielded projects that combine cinematic visuals with insightful narration, aiming to raise awareness on environmental and social issues. "Our Oceans" employs newly developed underwater filming techniques to capture rare footage, reinforcing the series' educational and cinematic ambitions.

This win further cements Obama's status as a sought-after narrator whose distinctive voice and clear, thoughtful delivery resonate with audiences. It also underscores the impact of documentary storytelling in bringing global challenges to mainstream attention. The Creative Arts Emmys ceremony for these technical and craft categories will be broadcast on FXX on September 13, with highlights and full coverage available on Hulu through October 7.

Tags
Barack Obama, Award, Netflix