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The Dalai Lama has won his first-ever Grammy Award at the age of 90, earning top honours in the Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling category.
The revered Buddhist spiritual leader expressed gratitude on Monday after his audiobook, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was announced as the winner at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
“I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility,” the Dalai Lama wrote on social media. “I don’t see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.”
A Global Voice for Peace and Compassion
Living in exile in India, the Dalai Lama is globally respected for his decades-long advocacy for peace, compassion, environmental care, and greater autonomy for Tibet — a region Beijing insists is an inseparable part of China.
Despite his simple appearance — maroon robes, sandals, and wide-rimmed glasses — the Dalai Lama remains one of the world’s most influential spiritual figures.
“I truly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings,” he said.
Star-Studded Audiobook Project
Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama features contributions from renowned artists including Rufus Wainwright and Maggie Rogers. Wainwright accepted the Grammy award on behalf of the Dalai Lama.
Political Tensions Resurface
The award has, however, drawn criticism from China. Beijing condemned the Grammy win, describing the project as “anti-China political manipulation.”
“We firmly oppose relevant parties using art awards as a tool for anti-China political manipulation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press briefing.
A Life in Exile
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet at the age of 23 after Chinese forces crushed an uprising in 1959. He escaped from the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, fearing for his life and has never returned since.
Tibetan Buddhists regard him as the 14th reincarnation of a spiritual leader whose lineage dates back to 1391. Meanwhile, atheist and Communist-led China has insisted it must approve his eventual successor — a claim the Dalai Lama firmly rejects, saying that authority rests solely with his India-based office.
