Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has won the Grammy Award for his audiobook Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the prestigious Grammy Awards. The win came at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, which were held recently in Los Angeles, United States. This honour marks a special achievement for the Dalai Lama, acknowledging his work on a global arts and storytelling stage.

The Tibetan spiritual leader’s audiobook won in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category. His entry was chosen over other notable nominees, including Kathy Garver for Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story, Trevor Noah for Into the Uncut Grass, Ketanji Brown Jackson for Lovely One: A Memoir, and Fab Morvan for You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.

The Dalai Lama was not present at the Grammy ceremony, so the award was accepted on his behalf by musician Rufus Wainwright. During his acceptance speech at the ceremony, which was streamed online, Wainwright joked, “OK, I am not the Dalai Lama, obviously,” and added that it was a special privilege to take part in the project. He said, “It was a privilege to participate in this project. It’s an honour to accept this recognition on behalf of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose wisdom is at the heart of this work.”

After the win was announced, the Dalai Lama’s office shared a message from the spiritual leader himself. In the message, he said, “I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don’t see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.” He explained that the award should be understood as acknowledging the idea that people everywhere share a common duty toward peace, understanding and care for one another.

According to the message, the Dalai Lama also emphasised his belief in universal human values. He said that he truly believes peace, compassion, care for the environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the well-being of all eight billion people on Earth. The Dalai Lama said he was grateful that this Grammy recognition could help spread these messages to more people around the world.

The audiobook Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama uses spoken reflections of the Dalai Lama paired with musical elements. It was recognised by the Recording Academy — the group that presents the Grammy Awards — as an outstanding work in narration and storytelling.

For the Dalai Lama, this Grammy win adds to his long history of international recognition. Over the decades, he has been honoured with many awards for his work in promoting peace, compassion and human values across cultures. This Grammy highlights the way his teachings and reflections have reached beyond spiritual circles into broader cultural and artistic spaces.

The Grammy Awards are among the most respected honours in music and audio arts. Winning in the category of Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording places the Dalai Lama alongside other extraordinary creators and thinkers who have used their voices and ideas to connect with global audiences.