His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the 90-year-old Buddhist spiritual leader, has received one of the world’s most prestigious music honors—the Grammy Award. At the Grammy ceremony held on Sunday in Los Angeles, USA, his album won in the Best Audiobook category. As the Dalai Lama could not attend the event in person, the award was accepted on his behalf by musician Rufus Wainwright.
The award-winning album, titled Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is not a conventional music album. Rather, it is an audiobook that presents the Dalai Lama’s teachings, reflections, and philosophy. His voice is accompanied by evocative background music composed and performed by renowned sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, along with his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
The central themes of the album revolve around world peace, humanity, patience, compassion, and hope. Responding to the honor, the Dalai Lama stated that he does not view the award as a personal achievement. “I accept this recognition with gratitude,” he said, adding that it represents shared responsibility and universal values.
He further remarked, “Peace, tolerance, care for the environment, and compassion are essential for the well-being of humanity. This Grammy Award will help spread these messages more widely.”
Notably, several distinguished personalities not directly associated with music have previously won Grammy Awards. Former U.S. President Barack Obama received the honor twice for his spoken-word recordings. Michelle Obama and the late Steve Jobs are also among past recipients. With this achievement, Buddhist philosophy now joins that distinguished legacy at the Grammy Awards.
