Los Angeles/New Delhi, February 2, 2026, 12:17 p.m. IST
Spiritual Leader’s Reflection on Compassion Triumphs Over Trevor Noah, Justice Jackson at 68th Grammys
In a stunning fusion of spirituality and music, the Dalai Lama has secured his first Grammy Award at the age of 90. The Tibetan spiritual leader won Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards pre-telecast ceremony on Sunday.
Victory in a Star-Studded Category
The 90-year-old Nobel Peace Prize recipient outshone a formidable lineup, including Grammy host Trevor Noah (Into the Uncut Grass), U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Lovely One), Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan (You Know It’s True), and actress Kathy Garver. Rufus Wainwright, who collaborated on the project, accepted the award with humor: “Okay, I am not the Dalai Lama, obviously,” before praising its roots in “wisdom, reflection, and compassion.”
Noah, marking his sixth and final time hosting the main ceremony, faced the irony of losing to the spiritual leader in his nominated category.
Inside the Award-Winning Album
Released in August 2025, Meditations blends the Dalai Lama’s narrated insights on mindfulness, harmony, and environmental stewardship with Hindustani classical music. Produced by Kabir Sehgal – a multi-Grammy and Emmy winner – the 10-track album features sarod virtuosos Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
Global artists like Andra Day, Ted Nash, Maggie Rogers, and Wainwright contribute, creating a bridge between Eastern philosophy and Western pop. Standout tracks include “Water,” where the Dalai Lama laments climate change near his Taktser birthplace: “Within my lifetime… annually more snow, then year by year, less and less.” On “Peace,” he adds: “A compassionate mind is very happy… compassion is for our own survival.”
A Night of Firsts and EGOT Glory
The Dalai Lama’s triumph highlighted the Grammys’ nod to diverse voices, coinciding with director Steven Spielberg’s first Grammy for Best Music Film (Music by John Williams), completing his EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). The event, streamed from Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater and Crypto.com Arena, underscored music’s power to amplify messages of peace amid global tensions.
This win resonates deeply in India, home to the Dalai Lama’s exile base in Dharamshala since 1959, symbolizing enduring cultural ties between Tibetan Buddhism and Indian traditions.
The Recording Academy’s choice signals a shift toward introspective content in an era of rapid digital consumption, potentially inspiring more cross-cultural collaborations.
2026 Grammys: See The Full Winners & Nominees List | GRAMMY.com
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