When Compassion Is Recognised, Intimidation Fails: A GATPM Statement on the Grammy Award to The Dalai Lama of Tibet

GATPM | 3rd February 2026

The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities warmly welcomes the Grammy Award for Best Audiobook, Narration and Storytelling bestowed upon His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” This recognition is a powerful affirmation of the universal values of peace, compassion, non-violence, environmental responsibility, and the oneness of humanity – values that transcend borders, politics, and ideology.

His Holiness’s words upon receiving the award reflect the very essence of his lifelong message:

“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.”

This Grammy is not merely an artistic honour; it is a global acknowledgment of moral leadership rooted in empathy, dialogue, and responsibility toward all sentient beings.

We strongly condemn the reaction of China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, who sought to politicise and delegitimise this international recognition by repeating long-standing accusations and framing the award as “anti-China political manipulation.” 

Such remarks represent an unwarranted interference in global cultural and moral recognition, and once again reveal the Chinese government’s intolerance toward independent voices of conscience – particularly those advocating peace and human dignity.

To portray His Holiness the Dalai Lama – a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of the world’s most respected spiritual leaders – as a threat simply for promoting compassion and non-violence is not only disingenuous, but profoundly revealing. It underscores the broader pattern of repression faced by Tibetans and other persecuted minorities whose identities, beliefs, and histories continue to be systematically undermined.

International awards such as the Grammy are not tools of political manipulation. They are expressions of global appreciation for ideas and contributions that uplift humanity. Attempts by any government to dictate whom the world may honour are an affront to freedom of expression, cultural autonomy, and the shared ethical space of the global community.

The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities stands in unwavering solidarity with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and with all communities whose peaceful voices are silenced or distorted by authoritarian narratives. We call upon the international community to resist intimidation, reject politicised censorship, and continue to uphold universal values over coercion.

This Grammy Award is a reminder that compassion cannot be suppressed, truth cannot be erased, and moral clarity cannot be dictated by state power.