LOS ANGELES -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Sunday beat two former US presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, when he picked up a Grammy Award in Los Angeles.

Obama, who is currently neck and neck with Hillary Clinton in the fierce battle for the Democratic Party?s presidential nomination, won the music industry's prize in the category for best spoken word album.

The freshman senator for Illinois was honored for his audio version of his book "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."

It was Obama's second Grammy, having won the same spoken word award in 2005 for his book "Dreams From My Father."

Bill Clinton had been nominated for his "Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World," his best-selling guide to how individuals can contribute to worthy causes, while Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, was nominated for his "Sunday Mornings in Plains: Bringing Peace to a Changing World."

Other nominees included Maya Angelou for "Celebrations" and actor Alan Alda for "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself."

The award came as Obama beat Hillary Clinton in three Democratic nominating contests Saturday, putting him more or less even with Clinton in the increasingly tight battle for the Democratic Party nomination.