In 1964, the fighter was up for the music honor for a comedy album. Twelve years later, he was nominated again. The accomplishments of Muhammad Ali are renowned: Olympic gold medalist, heavyweight boxing champion, humanitarian, civil rights activist. But would you believe he also was a Grammy Award nominee in 1964 and 1976? Trading in his boxing gloves and shorts for black tie and tails, Ali cut a comedy album inside the Manhattan studios of Columbia Records in early August 1963.