Los Angeles: Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama was honoured with his first Grammy Award for his audio book, ‘Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama’ at the prestigious 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles yesterday. The album won in the category of Best Audio Book, Narration and  Storytelling Recording.

The Dalai Lama had collaborated with Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, on the album, blending spoken word and music to celebrate universal values of peace, compassion, kindness and hope.

He won over nominees including Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story by Kathy Garver, Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah, Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson and You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli by Fab Morvan.

In a statement shared by his office, the Dalai Lama 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. 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. I’m grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely.”