At the 68th annual Grammy Awards, held Sunday, February 1, 2026, the Dalai Lama secured his first-ever Grammy win. The 90-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader was awarded the Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording for his album, "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama".

The album, "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama," is a spoken-word album featuring the Dalai Lama's reflections on themes such as mindfulness, harmony, and health, captured over several years. It also includes innovative collaborations with Hindustani classical influences. In one track, "Water," he discusses the importance of preserving water, drawing on his childhood experiences in Tibet. In another track, "Peace", he emphasizes compassion as essential for survival.

The Dalai Lama beat out other notable nominees in the category, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Grammys host Trevor Noah. Fab Morvan from Milli Vanilli and actress Kathy Garver were also among the nominees.

Due to his absence, musician Rufus Wainwright accepted the award on the Dalai Lama's behalf during the Premiere Ceremony, which was streamed on YouTube. Wainwright humorously stated, "OK, I am not the Dalai Lama, obviously". He continued, "It was a privilege to participate in this project. It's an honor to accept this recognition on behalf of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose wisdom is at the heart of this work".

The Dalai Lama's win was one of several history-making moments at the 68th Grammy Awards. K-pop group KPop Demon Hunters also won their first Grammy, and Steven Spielberg achieved EGOT status. "Golden" from “KPop Demon Hunters” won song written for visual media at the Premiere Ceremony, marking the first time a K-pop act has won a Grammy. With his win for "Music for John Williams", Steven Spielberg officially became an EGOT winner, having previously won an Emmy, Tony, and Oscar.