Dalai Lama Wins Grammy at 90 for Spoken-Word Album on Compassion

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has won his first-ever Grammy Award at the age of 90, earning global recognition for his spoken-word album Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles on February 1.

The album won in the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category, surpassing other nominees including Kathy Garver, Trevor Noah, US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Fab Morvan.

The award-winning project blends the Dalai Lama’s spoken reflections with music, focusing on universal themes such as peace, compassion, kindness, environmental responsibility and hope. The album features a collaboration with renowned sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, alongside contributions from artists across diverse global traditions.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama in the spiritual lineage and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, joined other first-time Grammy winners at the ceremony, including filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Musician Rufus Wainwright accepted the award on the Dalai Lama’s behalf during the event.

What Dalai Lama Said?

Reacting to the honour, the Dalai Lama said he received the recognition with humility, describing it not as a personal achievement but as an acknowledgement of shared human responsibility. He said the Grammy recognition could help amplify messages of peace, compassion, environmental care and the oneness of humanity for the collective well-being of all people.

An official from the Dalai Lama’s office said the album draws from key messages delivered by His Holiness in various talks, particularly on compassion, peace, environmental awareness and the sense of a shared humanity.

Earlier, Amjad Ali Khan had described the album as a deeply personal project, noting that it brought together the Dalai Lama’s wisdom with original music designed to inspire reflection and stillness. He said the collaboration was a profound privilege and expressed gratitude to all artists who contributed to the vision.

Produced with the involvement of Glassnote Records, the album weaves meditative reflections with Indian classical music, creating a contemplative soundscape intended to carry the Dalai Lama’s teachings to a global audience.