Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, has received numerous honors in recognition of his career in politics.
Obama received the Norwegian Nobel Committee's Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, The Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education's Ambassador of Humanity Award in 2014, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2017, and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award in 2018. He was on TIME Magazine's Time Person of the Year in 2008 and 2012.
He also received two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album for Dreams from My Father (2006), and The Audacity of Hope (2008) as well as three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narrator for Our Great National Parks (2022), Working: What We Do All Day (2023), and Our Oceans (2025).
National honors
country Date Decoration January 5, 2017 Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public ServiceLamothe, Dan. "Obama got the Pentagon’s medal for distinguished public service, and Sarah Palin didn’t like it", Washington Post (January 5, 2017).
Nobel Peace Prize
On October 9, 2009, Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
Foreign honors Country Date Decoration June 3, 2009 Order of King Abdulaziz (Collar)Reuters March 21, 2013 President's Medal April 28, 2014 Order of Sikatuna (Grand Collar)
Scholastic
Honorary degrees
Location Date School Degree Gave commencement address? June 4, 2005 Knox College Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes June 2, 2006 University of Massachusetts Boston Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes June 16, 2006 Northwestern University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes August 13, 2006 Xavier University of Louisiana Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 12, 2007 Howard University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) May 19, 2007 Southern New Hampshire University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 25, 2008 Wesleyan University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 17, 2009 University of Notre Dame Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 1, 2010 University of Michigan Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 9, 2010 Hampton University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 5, 2013 Ohio State University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes May 19, 2013 Morehouse College Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes June 28, 2013 University of Johannesburg Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) May 7, 2016 Howard University Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) Yes May 15, 2016 Rutgers University Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) Yes December 21, 2019 University of Hawaiʻi Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.)
Honorary awards YearAward 2005 NAACP Chairman's Award 2007 NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction for The Audacity of Hope 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Harold Washington Award 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Incorporated Phoenix Award "Senator Barack Obama Receives Phoenix Award at ALC ’08 Gala Dinner", Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (September 29, 2008), via Archive.org 2008 TIME magazine's Time Person of the Year 2009 Norwegian Nobel Committee's Nobel Peace Prize 2011 OMB Watch/National Security Archive/Project On Government Oversight / Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Transparency Award 2012 TIME magazine's Time Person of the Year 2013 New Musical Express NME Award for Hero of the Year 2014 The Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education's Ambassador of Humanity Award Grossberg, Josh."USC Shoah Foundation and Steven Spielberg Honor President Barack Obama with Ambassador for Humanity Award" , USC Shoah Foundation (May 7, 2014). 2015 Patient Safety Movement Foundation's Humanitarian Award 2017 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award 2017 For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology "Make It Loud" Award for FIRST / STEM Education 2018 Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award 2021 Aisppd Onlus Medal Award at the IX International Day of Awareness and Prevention of Women Diseases Tribute to International Women's Day
Competitive awards Association Year Category Work Result Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Preschool Series Waffles + Mochi Outstanding Fiction Special Waffles + Mochi's Holiday Feast Outstanding Preschool Animated Series Ada Twist, Scientist Outstanding Short Form Program We the People 2023 Outstanding Preschool Series Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant Grammy Awards 2006 Best Spoken Word Album Dreams from My Father 2008 Best Spoken Word Album The Audacity of Hope 2022 Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) A Promised Land News and Documentary Emmy Awards 2016 Outstanding Interview David Attenborough Meets President Obama Primetime Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Narrator Our Great National Parks (episode: "A World of Wonder") 2023 Outstanding Narrator Working: What We Do All Day (episode: "The Middle") 2025 Outstanding Narrator Our Oceans (episode: "Indian Ocean")
2008: His concession speech after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "Yes We Can", which was viewed 10 million times on YouTube in its first month and received a Daytime Emmy Award. February 9, 2020: Best Documentary Feature Academy Award for American Factory, made by the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground. Barack Obama was not personally among the winners of the award.
Freedom of the City 2013: Cape Town. Awarded with Michelle Obama. The Award was accepted on their behalf by acting United States Ambassador Virginia Palmer.
2017: Dublin. Awarded with Michelle Obama. Barack Obama accepted the award in person during a visit in 2025.
Namesakes
There are 13 community schools named after him, including: Barack & Michelle Obama Elementary School, St Paul, Minnesota; Barack Obama Charter Elementary School, Compton, California; Barack Obama Elementary School, Hempstead, New York; Barack Obama Elementary School, Richmond, Virginia; President Barack Obama School - Public School 34, Jersey City, New Jersey. Barack Obama School of International Studies (Public 6-12 IB), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith (BOMLA), magnet secondary school for boys located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas.
References