Dalai Lama nominated for first-ever Grammy for spoken-word album
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Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel laureate the 14th Dalai Lama has earned his first-ever Grammy nomination for his spoken-word album Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The album has reportedly been shortlisted in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for the 68th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.
The project features the 90-year-old Dalai Lama sharing his thoughts on compassion, peace and inner well-being, blended with original compositions by sarod legend Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash. Produced by multiple Grammy winner Kabir Sehgal, the album is said to include collaborations with several international artists such as Andra Day, Maggie Rogers, Tony Succar, Ted Nash, Debi Nova and Rufus Wainwright, TNIE reported.
Observers noted that the nomination is a culturally significant moment, reflecting how strongly the Dalai Lama’s message continues to resonate globally during a period marked by rising conflict and uncertainty.
Other nominees in the category include Kathy Carver for Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story, Trevor Noah for Into the Uncut Grass, US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for Lovely One: A Memoir, and Fab Morvan for You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.
Amjad Ali Khan, in a Facebook post, congratulated the Dalai Lama, calling the collaboration deeply meaningful and describing the album as a listening experience that invites reflection, stillness and compassion. He said it had been a profound honour to work on the project and expressed hope that the nomination would draw attention to the timeless importance of compassion.
The Dalai Lama has been honoured multiple times over the years, including with the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, the 2006 US Congressional Gold Medal, the 2012 Templeton Prize, the 2015 Liberty Medal, the 2019 Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, and the 2025 Gold Mercury Award for Peace and Sustainability.