Dalai Lama Takes Home Grammy, Uses Win to Deliver Message of Peace

At an awards night dominated by spectacle and sound, one of the most powerful moments at the 2026 Grammy Awards arrived quietly.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader and global symbol of compassion, won the Grammy Award for Best Audiobook for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The honour placed him alongside nominees ranging from Trevor Noah and Ketanji Brown Jackson to Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan, but the Dalai Lama’s response set the moment apart.

In a message shared by his office, he refused to frame the win as personal triumph.

Rather than celebrate the accolade, the Dalai Lama used it to amplify a familiar yet urgent appeal—one rooted in peace, compassion, environmental care, and the oneness of humanity.

“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, adding that he hoped the Grammy would help spread these ideas more widely.

The moment stood in striking contrast to the night’s other high-energy wins. British rocker Yungblud claimed Best Rock Performance for his searing rendition of Changes, paying tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne alongside a tearful Sharon Osbourne. Kendrick Lamar, meanwhile, continued his historic run by winning Best Rap Album for GNX, cementing his status as the most awarded rapper in Grammy history.

Yet amid the genre-spanning victories and performances at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, the Dalai Lama’s win carried a different resonance. It reminded audiences that storytelling need not be loud to be lasting and that words, when spoken with intent, can travel as far as any melody.

On a night celebrating music’s power, the Dalai Lama used a Grammy not to amplify himself, but to echo a message meant for the world.

(With inputs from ANI)