Anoushka Shankar’s career is deeply interwoven with the GRAMMY Awards, spanning over two decades of historic achievements. She first made waves in 2002, becoming the youngest-ever nominee and first Indian woman nominated in the World Music Category for her album ‘Live At Carnegie Hall.’ Just a few years later, in 2005, she became the first Indian musician to perform at the GRAMMYs, solidifying her presence on the global music stage. Her journey with the GRAMMYs continued as she took on the role of presenter in 2016 and performed for a second time during the remotely-filmed lockdown Grammy broadcast of 2021. An interesting side-note is that the custom Manish Arora creation she wore to present in 2016 was requested for exhibit by the Grammy museum, where it was on show for over a year. She made history once again in 2023 with her third performance at the GRAMMYs, marking a milestone for Indian and Pakistani collaboration on the GRAMMY stage when she was co-nominated for Best Global Performance alongside Arooj Aftab for their song ‘Udhero Na.’
Now, with her album ‘Ch II: How Dark it is Before Dawn’ – nominated for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album – and featuring role on Jacob Collier’s song ‘A Rock Somewhere’ in the Best Global Performance category, Anoushka has secured her unbelievable 10th and 11th nominations. This adds to an impressive list of previous nominations in the Best Global Music Album category for her solo albums ‘Rise,’ ‘Traveller,’ ‘Traces Of You,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Land Of Gold,’ ‘Love Letters PS’ and ‘Between Us…’
From her first nomination to her pioneering performances, Anoushka Shankar’s contributions continue to make her a vital part of the GRAMMY legacy and global music culture.
She tells us, “It’s a wonderful feeling to be Grammy-nominated again this year, and twice! I’m especially grateful that my latest album ‘Ch II: How Dark it is Before Dawn’ has been nominated, not least as it means the music I sent out into the world in hopes for peace and healing reaches even more people. I can’t help but hold my breath a little though, as I’ve been through this process before, and although I’m very fortunate to have been nominated so many times I’ve never won. I’m wary of how the nomination that initially feels so elating can later feel less-than when it doesn’t manifest a win. I’ve learned to try to stay focused on gratitude for the initial nomination and just enjoy the ride. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was hoping for a different outcome! I hope people are with me and I’m grateful to once again be representing India on the global stage.”
