Dalai Lama Album In Collaboration With Amjad Ali Gets A Grammy Nom

Photo: Instagram

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Dalai Lama’s voice, long associated with messages of compassion and unity, is now resonating on one of the world’s biggest cultural stages. His spoken-word album ‘Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’ has earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category.

The project is the result of a years-long creative relationship between the spiritual leader and an acclaimed ensemble of Indian musicians.

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, who led the collaboration, worked alongside his sons, sarod virtuosos Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, as well as multi-Grammy and Emmy Award-winning producer, author, and composer Kabir Sehgal. Their partnership has stretched across key moments in the Dalai Lama’s public life, including musical tributes during his 80th birthday celebrations in New Delhi.

The album’s compositions draw from themes that have defined his teachings for decades: compassion, peace, environmental responsibility, and the oneness of humanity. The spoken passages were shaped from various talks delivered over time, woven into a meditative soundscape crafted by the musicians.

For Amjad Ali Khan, the nomination carries deep personal significance. In a social media post, he described the honor as a moment of pride for the family and reflected on how the project remains close to their hearts.

The album enters a competitive field that spans memoir, storytelling, and personal history. Other nominees include Kathy Garver’s Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story; Trevor Noah’s Into The Uncut Grass; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s memoir Lovely One; and Fab Morvan’s You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.