Grammys 2026: The 14th Dalai Lama has won his first Grammy Award, making history as the spiritual leader achieves the prestigious music award milestone. He won the award at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording category for his spoken-word album, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The album was nominated alongside a prestigious list of finalists, which included Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, host Trevor Noah, and actress Kathy Garver. The Grammy Award honors the Dalai Lama’s contribution to music and storytelling, combining spiritual teachings with new Hindustani classical music elements. The recordings include teachings on mindfulness, compassion, harmony, and health gathered over the past few years.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Receives Grammy Recognition Highlighting Universal Responsibility and Compassion
Grammy Award Best Audiobook Narration – Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don’t see… pic.twitter.com/YhK5zlyhem
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) February 2, 2026
Grammys 2026: Insights from the Dalai Lama’s Album
In the song “Water,” the Dalai Lama speaks about his place of birth in eastern Tibet, called Taktser, where he was born as Lhamo Thondup. He says that in his lifetime, the winters in the Taktser region used to have more snow every year, but gradually, the amount of snowfall reduced. In this song, he stresses the need to conserve water, which is a valuable resource.
In the song “Peace,” he says that a compassionate heart is the source of happiness. He says that although people consider compassion a religious issue, it is actually a crucial factor for the survival of human beings.
These examples show that his teachings are not limited to religion and provide valuable advice for the well-being of individuals as well as the world.
Dalai Lama First-Time Grammy Winner
This victory puts the Dalai Lama alongside other artists who won their first Grammy Awards. For example, film director Steven Spielberg joined the EGOT winners this year after winning a Grammy Award for Best Music Film with Music by John Williams, a tribute to the legendary composer he often worked with. He is now an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner.
About Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the most prominent spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and a world-renowned figure for his advocacy of peace, compassion, and non-violence. He was born on July 6, 1935, in a farming family in Taktser, Amdo, in the northeastern part of Tibet, as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
He is a symbol of Tibetan identity and has been living in exile in Dharamshala, India, since 1959. In 2025, he marked his 90th birthday and continues to teach, although with a reduced schedule and less travel.
