In a historic first, the Dalai Lama has won a Grammy Award at age 90. His spoken-word album, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, took home the prize for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording during the 68th annual ceremony on February 1, 2026.
The Tibetan spiritual leader beat out a field of high-profile nominees, including former host Trevor Noah and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Musician Rufus Wainwright, who worked on the project, accepted the trophy in Los Angeles on the leader’s behalf.
All about Dalai Lama’s audiobook Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness
The album is a special collaboration that pairs the Dalai Lama’s teachings with original music from sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash. The goal was to mix the leader’s voice with the calming strings of the sarod to help listeners find a sense of stillness.
The audiobook Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a blend of spiritual teaching and music. Across its ten tracks including “Oneness,” “Kindness,” and “Harmony,” the 14th Dalai Lama shares his personal insights on how compassion and mindfulness can solve modern problems. He explains that we are all deeply interconnected, arguing that realizing the ‘oneness of humanity’ is the only way to achieve global peace. By mixing his spoken reflections with the calming sarod melodies of Amjad Ali Khan, the audiobook helps listeners find stillness and mental clarity.
Produced by Kabir Sehgal and released through Glassnote Records, the record features reflections on peace, hope, and the shared responsibility we have to one another. Amjad Ali Khan described the work as a “labor of love,” explaining that it was a privilege to help carry the Dalai Lama’s message to a global audience in this new way.
The Dalai Lama’s reaction
True to his character, the 14th Dalai Lama responded with deep humility. In a statement, he explained that he viewed the award as a win for the values of compassion rather than a personal honor.
“I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility,” he said. “I don’t see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.” He added that he hopes the Grammy helps spread the idea of “the oneness of humanity” to all eight billion people on the planet.
A lasting legacy
Born Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamshala, India, since 1959. Having celebrated his 90th birthday just last year, this Grammy victory shows his message is still powerful today.
While the spiritual leader has won many honors including the Nobel Peace Prize, this first Grammy win puts him in the company of world figures whose voices have been recognized for their power to inspire through storytelling. It’s a rare moment where ancient wisdom and modern music come together on the world’s biggest stage.