Ask Onix
China slams Grammy award to Dalai Lama
Beijing has accused organizers of using the music awards to promote what it calls an "anti-China" agenda after the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader won in the audiobook category.
Dalai Lama accepts honor with gratitude
The 90-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has lived in exile since 1959, received the award for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In a social media message, he described the recognition as an acknowledgment of "shared universal responsibility" rather than a personal accolade.
Canadian musician Rufus Wainwright, who contributed to the audiobook, accepted the award on the Dalai Lama's behalf at the ceremony.
Beijing's firm opposition
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated at a press briefing that China "firmly opposes" using art awards as tools for "anti-China political manipulation." He reiterated Beijing's long-standing position that the Dalai Lama is a "separatist" seeking to undermine Chinese sovereignty over Tibet.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet after Chinese forces suppressed an uprising in 1959. He has since advocated for greater autonomy for the region, which China has controlled since its military occupation in 1950.
Succession dispute fuels tensions
The Grammy recognition comes amid escalating tensions over the Dalai Lama's plans to name a successor. Last year, he confirmed intentions to select a reincarnation outside China, defying Beijing's insistence that any successor must comply with Chinese laws and government approval.
Under Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lama is believed to be reincarnated after death. However, China has dismissed the spiritual leader's authority to determine his successor, asserting that the process must adhere to "historical conventions" and state oversight.
Tibetan exiles fear Beijing may attempt to install a state-approved successor to tighten its grip on the region.
Broader implications
The dispute underscores the deepening divide between China and the global Tibetan diaspora. While the Dalai Lama has repeatedly called for dialogue and nonviolent resistance, Beijing has intensified crackdowns on Tibetan cultural and religious practices, framing them as threats to national unity.
"I don't see this as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility."
Dalai Lama, in a social media statement
