Higher Ground Productions

Higher Ground Productions, also known simply as Higher Ground, is an American production company which was founded in 2018 by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Higher Ground

Company type	Private
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2018; 7 years ago (2018)
Founder	Barack Obama Michelle Obama
Headquarters	United States
Services	Film and TV production Podcasting

History

In May 2018, the Obamas launched Higher Ground Productions by signing a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce scripted and unscripted film and television projects, with the goal of the company to lift up diverse voices in the entertainment industry.^[1] Michelle Obama stated "I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others."^[1] In February 2019, Priya Swaminathan, Tonia Davis, and Qadriyyah “Q” Shamsid-Deen joined the company, with Swaminathan and Davis serving as co-heads and Shamsid-Deen serving as a creative executive.^[2]

On June 6, 2019, Spotify announced a partnership with Higher Ground to produce Spotify-exclusive podcasts.^[3] The first podcast under the partnership, The Michelle Obama Podcast, premiered on July 29, 2020.^[4]

The company's first film was American Factory, released in 2019. Netflix released Becoming a documentary following Michelle Obama on her book tour promoting her memoir of the same name.^[5]

Higher Ground has multiple projects in development, including a feature film adaptation of Frederick Douglass's biography, a drama series set in the fashion scene of post-WWII New York City, and a scripted anthology series of the New York Times obituary column highlighting deaths of remarkable people not reported.^[6]

In June 2022, it was announced that Higher Ground would be ending its partnership with Spotify, as it signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar deal with Audible.^[7]

In March 2025, the company announced that Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson would launch a podcast called “IMO”.^[8]

Awards

In 2020, the company won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program for American Factory.^[9][10][11]

Productions

Feature films

Release date	Title	Notes	Ref.
June 7, 2021	Fatherhood
September 3, 2021	Worth
November 3, 2023	Rustin	AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actor NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated—AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Time Capsule Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Lead Performance Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Screenplay Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Ensemble Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Costume Design Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Hairstyling & Makeup Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Score Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Song Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Soundtrack Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Production Design Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Song Nominated—Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Nominated—Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Score in a Feature Film Nominated—Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a Feature Film Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Original Song Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated—World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song	[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]
December 8, 2023	Leave the World Behind	Nominated—AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actress Nominated—AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Intergenerational Film Nominated—Set Decorators Society of America Award for Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film	[12] [27]

Television

Release date	Title	Notes	Ref.
March 16, 2021	Waffles + Mochi	An educational Netflix original series for kids; centered on healthy eating. Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Preschool Series (2022–2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Live Action Preschool or Children's Program (2022) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Live Action Single-Camera Program (2022–2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for a Single Camera Program (2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting, Camera and Technical Arts (2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program (2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects for a Live Action Program (2022) Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children's Program (2021–2022) Nominated—Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Children's Program (2021) Nominated—TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming (2021) Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Children's Script – Episodic, Long form and Specials (2021)	[28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
July 4, 2021	We the People	Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Program Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a TV Show/Limited Series Nominated—Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production for Children Nominated—Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Nominated—Guild of Music Supervisors Award for Best Song Written and/or Recorded for Television	[28] [34] [35] [36]
September 28, 2021	Ada Twist, Scientist	An educational Netflix original series for kids; centered on science, technology, engineering and math. Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production for Preschool (2021) Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Preschool Animated Series (2022) GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Children's Programming (2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Preschool Animated Series (2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program (2022–2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated Program (2022) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program (2023) Nominated—Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series (2023) Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children's Program (2021, 2023) Nominated—TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming (2022)	[35] [28] [37] [29] [30] [38]
April 13, 2022	Our Great National Parks	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator – Barack Obama (for "A World of Wonder") Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Narration – Barack Obama Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program (for "Chilean Patagonia")	[39] [40]
May 19, 2022	The G Word with Adam Conover	A spiritual successor to Adam Ruins Everything with a focus on the US Federal Government starring Adam Conover.
April 25, 2023	The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey	Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special	[41]
May 17, 2023	Working: What We Do All Day	How people find meaning and connection through work, sharing experiences and struggles; former President Barack Obama visits people in their homes and workplaces, following them at all levels, from service jobs to the executive suite. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator – Barack Obama (for "The Middle")	[42]
May 9, 2024	Bodkin		[43][44]
October 9, 2024	Starting 5		[45][46][47]
February 18, 2025	Court of Gold		[48][49]
TBA	White Mountains	Reportedly based on the story of Barney and Betty Hill who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials.	[50]

Documentaries

Release date	Title	Notes	Ref.
August 21, 2019	American Factory	Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Political Documentary Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Director Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Documentary Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Film Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Documentary Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature Nominated—Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Gotham Independent Film Audience Award Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Non-Fiction Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program Nominated—Producers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Motion Picture Nominated—San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary	[51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68]
March 25, 2020	Crip Camp	Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: U.S. Documentary Nominated—Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Nominated—AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Documentary Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Director Nominated—Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary	[69] [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [59] [75] [76] [77] [78]
May 6, 2020	Becoming	Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Television Documentary or Special Nominated—Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program Nominated—Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)	[79] [80] [81]
October 21, 2022	Descendant	Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Documentary Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Director Nominated—Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Non-Fiction Film Nominated—Producers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Motion Picture Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary	[82][83] [84] [85] [86] [87] [88] [89] [90] [91] [92] [93]
November 29, 2023	American Symphony	Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Film Grammy Award for Best Music Film Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media Producers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Motion Picture Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary Nominated—Academy Award for Best Original Song Nominated—American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Documentary – Feature Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Documentary Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Documentary Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Score Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Song Nominated—Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Documentary Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature Nominated—Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Director Nominated—Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Documentary Nominated—Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary Nominated—Guild of Music Supervisors Award for Best Song Written and/or Recording Created for a Film Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary (Film) Nominated—San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Documentary Film Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Original Song Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary Nominated—World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song	[94] [18] [95] [96] [25] [14] [97] [15] [16] [98] [99] [100] [101] [21] [102] [23] [103] [26]

Podcasts

Release date	Title	Notes	Ref.
July 29, 2020 (premiere)	The Michelle Obama Podcast	Produced in exclusive partnership with Spotify.
February 22, 2021 (premiere)	Renegades: Born in the USA	Produced in exclusive partnership with Spotify.
January 12, 2022 (season premiere)	The Big Hit Show: Twilight	Produced in exclusive partnership with Spotify.
February 9, 2022 (season premiere)	The Big Hit Show: To Pimp a Butterfly	Produced in exclusive partnership with Spotify.
December 12, 2024	The Wonder of Stevie	Produced in partnership with Pineapple Street Productions.