Carrying On the Legacy of John Lewis: Don Cheadle Wins Grammy Award

Actor and producer Don Cheadle (Theater BFA 86) won his second Grammy Award at Sunday night’s ceremony in Las Vegas for Best Spoken Word Album. The CalArts alum and trustee won the 2022 Grammy for his audio presentation Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation from John Lewis. The book is a collection of reflections and words of wisdom from the civil rights leader and congressman Lewis, penned toward the end of his life.

Cheadle had stiff competition in the category, which also includes poetry, audio books, and storytelling. His fellow nominees were former President Barack Obama reading his memoir, A Promised Land; comedian Dave Chappelle’s and Amir Sulaiman’s 8:46, a work that decries and details violence against African Americans; spoken word artist and poet J. Ivy’s Catching Dreams: Live at Fort Knox Chicago; and actor-writer LeVar Burton’s work of speculative fiction, Aftermath.

In 2017, Cheadle won his first Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for the 2015 film Miles Ahead, sharing the award with fellow compilation producers Steve Berkowitz and Robert Glasper. The biographical drama about the life of jazz great Miles Davis also marked Cheadle’s directorial debut. He also starred in the titular role and co-wrote the script.