The 2010 prize went to Liu Xiaobo " for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China " . Liu was imprisoned at the time of the award and neither he nor his family were allowed to attend the ceremony . The Chinese government alleged that Liu did not promote " international friendship , disarmament , and peace meetings " , the prize 's stated goal . They further alleged that Liu Xiaobo had participated in organizations that received funding from the National Endowment for Democracy , which they claimed brought his status and the prize itself into question . The award led to a diplomatic dispute between Norway and China . Relations were normalized in December 2016
2010 prize
2010 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Prize controversies