Thousands of people have won Grammys since the first awards ceremony in 1959. Just 112 individuals have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And just five individuals have received both accolades, the latest being The Dalai Lama. The Buddhist spiritual leader won a Grammy on Sunday (Feb. 1) for best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for his new age album, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The award came 37 years after he received the Nobel Peace Prize “for advocating peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.”
The Dalai Lama wasn’t in the house at Crypto.com for the 68th annual Grammy Awards – unlike another nominee in the category, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was seated down front and introduced by show host Trevor Noah – but he did release a statement following his win: “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.”
The album, which was released in August, shortly after the Dalai Lama turned 90, mixes his spoken reflections with music. Rufus Wainwright, Maggie Rogers and Andra Day lent their voices to selected tracks. Wainwright accepted the Grammy for the Dalai Lama at the Premiere Ceremony on Sunday afternoon, where 86 of this year’s 95 Grammy categories were presented.
Producer Kabir Sehgal told The Economic Times that he spent more than 100 hours listening to the Dalai Lama’s speeches and conversations to curate the final 10 tracks. The aim, he said, was to present messages of love, kindness and peace in a form that resonates with modern audiences. The 59-minute album consists of 10 tracks, each with a one-word title: “Heart,” “Oneness,” “Harmony,” “Kindness,” “Water,” “Mind,” “Health,” “Peace,” “Essence” and “Journey.”
Indian classical music forms the backbone of the album. Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, collaborated closely on the project. Amaan Ali Bangash told The Economic Times that the Dalai Lama’s office remained engaged throughout the process and offered its blessings at every stage.
Here’s a complete list of everyone who has both received a Nobel Peace Prize and won a Grammy.
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The Dalai Lama
Nobel Peace Prize: 1989: “for advocating peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people”
Grammy: 2026: best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording. Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Notes: The Dalai Lama won his Grammy in an especially diverse field of nominees which also included comedian Trevor Noah (who hosted the telecast), Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, former Milli Vanilli member Fab Morvan and actress Kathy Garver, who is best known for the 1960s sitcom Family Affair.
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Barack Obama
Nobel Peace Prize: 2009: “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”
Grammys: 2006: best spoken word album, Dreams From My Father; 2008: best spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & story telling), The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Notes: Obama won both of his Grammys while he was serving as a U.S. senator. He was nominated a third time, following his two terms in the White House, but he lost. He received the Nobel Peace Prize during his first year as president. The award was widely seen as a global reflection of hope (and relief) in America’s new leader rather than a recognition of any particular accomplishment.
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Jimmy Carter
Nobel Peace Prize: 2002: “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”
Grammys: 2007: best spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & story telling), Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis; 2016: best spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & storytelling) A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety; 2019: best spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & storytelling) Faith – A Journey For All; 2025: best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording, Last Sundays In Plains: A Centennial Celebration
Notes: Carter is the only former president who has won more than two Grammys. Not bad for a one-term president. His last Grammy win was posthumous. He was alive when the nomination was announced, but had passed by the time of the ceremony.
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Mikhail Gorbachev
Nobel Peace Prize: 1990: “for the leading role he played in the radical changes in East-West relations”
Grammy: 2004: best spoken word album for children, Prokofiev: Peter and The Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks (Kent Nagano; Russian National Orchestra)
Notes: Gorbachev won his Grammy alongside collaborators Bill Clinton and Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren, which may be the most unlikely three-way collab ever to win a Grammy.
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Martin Luther King
Nobel Peace Prize: 1964: “for his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population”
Grammy: 1971: best spoken word recording, “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam”
Notes: Dr. King was alive when he received the Nobel Peace Prize but had been assassinated (in 1968) by the time he won the Grammy.
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