Aaron Lazar Receives Grammy Nomination for Debut Album Recorded After Being Diagnosed with ALS

Aaron Lazar received his first Grammy nomination on Friday, November 8, nearly three years after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The 48-year-old actor — known for his roles on stage and screen, including musicals like Light on the Piazza and Les Miserablesas well as Everything everywhere and at once — went public in January with the news that he was suffering from a progressive neurogenerative disorder, garnering massive support from the Broadway community and thrusting Lazar into the spotlight as he vowed not to fight the disease, but instead to pursue his impossible dream of a cure from it.

Months later, in August, Lazar released his aptly titled debut album An impossible dream. For the milestone, Lazar collaborated with a collection of award-winning megastars from across the music, film, television and theater industries including Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, Leslie Odom Jr., Kelli O’Hara, Kate Baldwin, Norm Lewis and Loren Allred.

There was also a special duet with the late Rebecca Luker, who died aged 59 in 2020, just 10 months after being diagnosed with ALS.

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Aaron Lazar and members of the Broadway community record ‘The Impossible Dream’ for his debut album.

Dave Quinn

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For the LP’s grand finale, Lazar assembled nearly 80 of Broadway’s finest — including Kristin Chenoweth, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Brian Stokes Mitchell, Adrienne Warren, Shoshana Bean, Liz Callaway, Joanna Gleason, Brian d’Arcy James , Tony Yazbeck, Christy Altomare, Adam Jacobs, Max Von Essen, Betsy Wolfe, Christiane Noll and Marc Kudisch — for a powerful performance of “The Impossible Dream,” a song from The The Man of La Mancha which became Lazarus’ personal anthem.

A portion of the album’s proceeds benefit the ALS Network, which provides comprehensive, integrated, multidisciplinary care in the community at no cost to the ALS community. In January, the organization awarded Lazar with the Essey Spotlight Award for his dedication to raising awareness of ALS around the world

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Now Lazar is looking for another prize, An impossible dream earning a nomination in the Best Traditional Pop Album category. She will compete against Cyrille Aimée À Fleur De PeauNorah Jones’ visions, Lake Street Dive’ Good together and Gregory Porter Christmas wish.

“We all have the power within us to make the impossible possible,” Lazar wrote in an Instagram post celebrating the news, while also expressing gratitude to everyone from the artists to the producers, arrangers and “star-studded” camera crew. “Thank you ALL for helping me share some of the healing with the world through this music.”

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a brutal condition that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a loss of muscle control that often leaves patients unable to move, speak, swallow and, eventually, even breathe. Affecting an average of 5,000 new patients a year in the U.S., according to the ALS Association, there is no known cure with a life expectancy from the time of diagnosis for a person with ALS between three and five years.

Lazar found out he had a slow-moving version of ALS in January 2022, six months after he started experiencing symptoms. But in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, the father-of-two – who shares sons Julian, 14, and Adrian, 12, with ex-wife LeAnn – has adopted an attitude of unwavering optimism.

Broadway star Aaron Lazar opens up about finding hope after ALS diagnosis: ‘I learned to dream again’

He told PEOPLE in April that he decided “not to live in fear.” Instead, he focused on emotional, spiritual healing — and yes, physical — through a “very conscious, very disciplined” exploration of holistic health through diet, exercise, meditation and a gratitude-based spiritual practice.

“Don’t get me wrong; I’m passionately fighting for my life, I’m just not fighting the disease,” said Lazar in an interview from Los Angeles, where he lives with his fiancee Nawal Bengholam. “I’ve learned to surrender to ALS in a way that allows me to appreciate the moments between life’s highs and lows. Because I don’t want to miss them.”

Nawal Bengholam and Aaron Lazar at the 77th Annual Tony Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on June 16, 2024 in New York City.

Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Recording an album wasn’t in Lazar’s plan at first, but it came soon after PEOPLE helped him share his story in early February. “I’ve never made my own album, but I just had the idea to make something with inspirational songs that are full of love, hope and healing,” said Lazar. “And we started thinking about what this could be.”

Jonathan Estabrooks and Lazar co-produced the album with Grammy winner Kit Wakeley, who also arranged the LP. It was developed by Emitha Studios (Emitha LLC) and Studio 7 Media.

It was not difficult for Lazar to win the stars. “I just started making phone calls and within two weeks … all these amazing people were on board,” Lazar said. – Everyone just said yes.

“I’m so grateful to everyone for everything they’ve done to support me,” he added. “They made my impossible dream come true.”

An impossible dream is now available.

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Source: HIS Education