It’s only March, but Ken Jennings is already having a big year.
In January and February, Jennings — well known for his prowess as a “Jeopardy!” contestant — embraced a new role on the quiz show. The “Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time” champion became the show’s first guest host, gradually transitioning from nervous to confident as he helped “Jeopardy!” transition to a post-Alex Trebek world.
From January to early March, Jennings also took part in another trivia game show called “The Chase,” an ABC network program that reunited Jennings with fellow “Jeopardy!” legends James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter.
Now, on Sunday, Jennings could add another impressive feat to his résumé: Winning a Grammy.
At the upcoming 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, Jennings is a nominee for best spoken word album. Jennings helped narrate the audiobook for Trebek’s memoir “The Answer is ... Reflections on My Life,” which came out last July — just a few months before Trebek’s death.
“It was a real honor to be asked to help with Alex’s audiobook, but also a lot of pressure,” Jennings said in a news release promoting the book. “Your pronunciation has to be impeccable when you’re filling in for Alex Trebek!”
Throughout his memoir, Trebek shared a wide range of anecdotes to let fans into his life — everything from his political views to his history with swearing to how he was handling his cancer diagnosis, according to the Deseret News.
In the spoken word album category — which includes poetry, audiobooks and storytelling —Jennings’ narration of Trebek’s autobiography is up against Meryl Streep’s work on “Charlotte Web”; Ronan Farrow’s “Catch and Kill”; Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea for his memoir “Acid for the Children”; and Rachel Maddow’s “Blowout,” NPR reported.
“I don’t think I’m such a draw compared to Meryl Streep or Ronan Farrow for the book that took down Harvey Weinstein,” Jennings recently told the Seattle Times. “This is not going to happen for me.”
But Jennings did tell the Seattle Times that he plans to tune in and enjoy the moment. He said the worst part is that should he end up winning, Trebek — who also narrated parts of the memoir — won’t be awarded with a posthumous Grammy Award.
Jennings initially shared his frustration about this when the Grammy nominations were released in late November — just two weeks after Trebek’s death.
“Wait, what??” he wrote on Twitter. “This should 100% be Alex’s Grammy nomination. He wrote the book and reads much of the audiobook! Who do I speak to about this.”
Although the late “Jeopardy!” host’s name was submitted for consideration, Jennings said it was ultimately left off because Trebek, who had pancreatic cancer at the time, did not narrate at least half of the book.
“Which is kind of a bummer, because the reason why Alex couldn’t read his own audiobook is because his health was not great and he was saving his voice for ‘Jeopardy!” Jennings recently told the Seattle Times. “He wanted to do the show as long as possible, so he wasn’t taking any chances. So I was just a pinch hitter.”
Trebek and Jennings have a long history. In 2004, Jennings made his “Jeopardy!” debut and wowed fans with his knowledge, going on to win 74 games, earning $2.52 million.
In his memoir, Trebek said he got to know Jennings more than most contestants during that time and admitted his sadness when a question about H&R Block finally dethroned Jennings.
“I had tears in my eyes,” Trebek wrote, according to the Deseret News. “It just all happened so quickly. Ken lost. … The show ended. I remember thinking, ‘Ken’s gone. My buddy. My pal. This was getting to be ‘The Ken and Alex Show.’”
Sixteen years later, an emotional Jennings made his debut as “Jeopardy!” guest host and paid tribute to his friend Trebek.
“Sharing this stage with Alex Trebek was one of the greatest honors of my life,” he said, according to the Deseret News. “Not many things in life are perfect, but Alex did this job pretty much perfectly for more than 36 years — and it was even better up close. We were dazzled by his intelligence, his charm, his grace — really, there’s no other word for it.
“Like all ‘Jeopardy!’ fans, I miss Alex,” he continued with emotion. “Very much. And I thank him for everything he did for all of us. Let’s be totally clear: No one will ever replace the great Alex Trebek, but we can honor him by playing the game he loved.”
Last month, “Jeopardy!” Executive Producer Mike Richards told USA Today that Jennings is “absolutely” being considered to permanently replace Trebek, although the show likely won’t make an announcement regarding the official host until the new season premieres in September.
In the meantime, Jennings awaits the Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday, and anticipates learning later this year whether “The Chase” will be renewed for a second season, according to the Seattle Times.