Los Angeles, Feb 03: The Dalai Lama has won a Grammy for his spoken word album “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama” at a glittering and politically charged music gala, the first golden gramophone for the 90-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader.
The 68th Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah and held at the Crypto.com Arena here on Sunday night, recognised winners in over 90 categories.
While the Dalai Lama’s followers in the Himachal Pradesh town of Dharamshala and elsewhere celebrated, Indian and Indian origin artistes, including Anoushka Shankar, fusion band Shakti and Siddhant Bhatia, were nominated but didn’t manage a win.
Singer Rufus Wainwright accepted the award in the category for ‘audio books, narration and storytelling’ on behalf of the Dalai Lama. He figures in the album along with singers Maggie Rogers and Andra Day.
Produced by Kabir Sehgal, the album features sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash besides American saxophonist Ted Nash, singer-songwriter Debi Nova and percussionist-composer Tony Succar.
The Dalai Lama expressed gratitude, saying he did not view the award as a personal achievement.
“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,” the Dalai Lama said.
“I firmly 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 am grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely,” he said in a statement.
It was the first Grammy for the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, as well as for director Steven Spielberg and for K-pop too.
Spielberg won in the ‘music film’ category for “Music for John Williams”, a documentary on his long-time collaborator, composer John Williams. With the Grammy, he joins the enviable EGOT list — those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony.
Popular song “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” won the Grammy for song written for visual media.
India did not register any wins despite its artists being nominated in different categories.
Sitarist Shankar was nominated for two of her albums — “Daybreak” in the ‘global music performance’ and “Chapter III: We Return to Light” in the ‘global music album’ categories. They both feature Shankar alongside Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar.
She lost out in the ‘global music performance’ category to Bad Bunny’s “EoO” and in the ‘global music album’ category to “Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo” by Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania.
Also nominated in the ‘global music performance’ category was “Shirini’s Dream (Live) by Shakti, featuring John McLaughlin, late Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Selvaganesh Vinayakram and Ganesh Rajagopalan.
The ‘global music album’ category had three India connect albums that were nominated — Shankar, Indian musician Siddhant Bhatia (“Sounds of Kumbha”) and “Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)” by Shakti.
Shankar said she decided to skip the music’s biggest night on Sunday and instead spend the time in India where she is touring.
“It’s Grammy day today! I’m proud to be twice nominated – for my album Chapter III: We Return to Light and for ‘Daybreak,’ the lead song from the album. These are my 12th and 13th nominations, which in itself is HUGE! At the same time, it feels really good NOT to be in LA getting sucked into the whirlwind of interlocking excitement and stress that comes with major awards events,” she posted on Instagram ahead of the ceremony.
“This year, I made a conscious decision not to go, and to be on the road in India during the ceremony. I wanted to practice what I preach, which is that awards don’t matter like the actual connection playing music for people affords us as artists. I wanted to take care of my mental health too,” she said, explaining how missing out on winning can be taxing.
The Grammys this year saw Bad Bunny win the Album of the Year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”, making it the first time a Spanish-language album won the top prize.
Bad Bunny used his first time on stage to share an anti-ICE message.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said.
Billie Eilish won song of the year for “Wildflower” and used the moment to add her voice to the chorus of musicians criticizing immigration authorities Sunday.
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” she said while accepting the award for the song from her 2024 album “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” “**** ICE is all I want to say.”
Olivia Dean, who won New Artist, called herself “a granddaughter of an immigrant”.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA won Record of the Year at an electric 2026 Grammy Awards Sunday night for “Luther.” With the win, he breaks Jay-Z’s record to become the rapper with most Grammys. He now has 27 Grammys against Jay-Z’s 25.
The award season is slated to draw more such protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign in Minneapolis. Up ahead are the Oscars.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has drawn a lot of backlash after a Border Patrol officer shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti and federal agents detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos.
Artists like Justin Bieber, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Kehlani, Rhiannon Giddens, Joni Mitchell, Samara Joy, Amy Allen,Kamal Wilson, Helen J. Shen, Finneas and Billie Elish were among the artists who wore pins saying “ICE OUT”.
