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Desis @ the Grammys: Tradition and Fusion
The 2026 Grammy Awards night is almost here, and desis have plenty to croon about this weekend, with several nominations in the global and local categories. While the usual suspects, sitarist Anoushka Shankar and fusion group Shakti, are back with nominations in the global music categories, raga-jazz musician Charu Suri made a splash with her first nomination in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category for her work, Shayan.
From classical fusion and spiritual compositions to contemporary jazz, this year’s list of Indian-origin contenders features a blend of legendary icons, returning victors, and groundbreaking new entrants.
Breaking new ground in the awards category, Charu Suri, an Indo-American pianist and composer, has become the first raga-jazz artist to be nominated in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category for her work, Shayan. (India Currents interview with Suri coming soon!) Suri is known for her unique ability to blend traditional Indian raga influences with Western jazz structures.
The album Shayan is a collaborative effort, featuring Bengaluru-based flutist Ravichandra Kulur, Melbourne-based vocalist and producer Shriram Iyer (known professionally as Siyer), and Carnatic-jazz musician Ramya Shankar on the ukulele.
Shayan is produced and mixed by India-based composer and vocalist Siddhant Bhatia, who also earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Album for his project Sounds of Kumbha. Commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh government, the 12-track album captures the spiritual and sonic energy of the Maha Kumbha. The project is a massive collaborative effort that united 50 global artists. Prominent contributors to this spiritual odyssey include, Charu Suri, Bay Area-based violin virtuoso Kala Ramnath, Indian-American rapper Raja Kumari, andsinger Kanika Kapoor, the popular Bollywood playback singer.
Sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar has earned two nods this year, bringing her career total to a remarkable 13 nominations: Best Global Music Album for Chapter III: We Return to Light, and Best Global Music Performance for the evocative track Daybreak.
This year, she is joined by frequent collaborators who are receiving their own first-time recognition. Sarod maestro Alam Khan (son of the legendary Ali Akbar Khan) and percussionist Sarathy Korwar are both nominated alongside Shankar for their contributions to both the album and Daybreak.
Shankar’s journey with the Grammys began in 2003 when she became the youngest-ever nominee in the World Music category for Live at Carnegie Hall. Will that elusive gilded gramophone finally be hers this year?
Following their big win at the 2024 ceremony, the fusion supergroup Shakti has returned with two nominations for Best Global Music Album for Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live) and Best Global Music Performance for Shrini’s Dream (Live). The band, co-founded by tabla legend (late) Ustad Zakir Hussain and guitarist John McLaughlin, includes vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, percussionist V. Selvaganesh, and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan. This nomination follows the group’s 2024 victory for This Moment, which was their first studio album in 46 years. Ustad Zakir Hussain had won three Grammys in 2024.
The Grammy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 1, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and streamed live, as well as available on demand on Paramount+.