The 14th Dalai Lama created history and became the first recipient of a Grammy Award at the age of 90, at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026, which gained him worldwide publicity.
The Dalai Lama Wins His First Grammy For?
The Tibetan spiritual leader was awarded in the section of Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording of his spoken word album Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It was a critical success due to a rare unity of spiritual knowledge and the world of music, which is an indication of the long term influence of the Dalai Lama on religious and cultural borders. Musician Rufus Wainwright picked up the award on his behalf, and in his speech he quipped, ‘Ok, I am not Dalai Lama, which is understandable, obviously,’ considering the peculiarity of the situation.
Social Media Reactions
Dalai Lama is now a #GRAMMY winner. Nicki Minaj has no #GRAMMY wins. pic.twitter.com/yY3gIIXMdW
— #1 TAYDEFENDER⸆⸉ ❤️🔥 (@swiftism100) February 2, 2026
#GRAMMYs for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:
Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama by Dalai Lama pic.twitter.com/aLO9lwY3uC
— Captain Cristobal (@CRS_One) February 1, 2026
The Dalai Lama won a grammy pic.twitter.com/G7CnrMyKZn
— My Name Is James (@_JamesGtfo) February 1, 2026
What Is The Album About?
The album is a blend of the thoughts of the Dalai Lama on peace, compassion, mindfulness and unity, and has been combined with original music and input of other artists of other traditions including the influences of Indian classical music. Nominated in the company of high profile names including Trevor Noah and US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the win speaks to the universality of the Dalai Lama message and growing categories of audio projects that are worthy of nomination at the Grammys. This is his historic victory that qualifies him as one of the most notable first-time winners at the 2026 ceremony and has been declared a cultural milestone.
Grammy Awards 2026
The Grammy success of Dalai Lama is one of the many milestones at the awards, where others like Steven Spielberg finished the EGOT and K-pop made breakthrough wins. The 2026 ceremony has been highly characterised by a variety of winners and the appreciation of storytelling and values oriented projects at the international arena, which strengthens the adoption of wider forms of creative expression by the recording academy.
