The 2026 Grammy nominations have been announced, marking the countdown to one of the most anticipated nights in global music. Leading the pack are international heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga, with nine and seven nominations respectively. Singer-songwriter Jack Antonoff and Canadian producer Cirkut also received seven nominations each.
Fans of Taylor Swift were left disappointed, as her latest album Life of a Showgirl was released after the eligibility window had closed. Another major snub this year includes Kiwi singer-songwriter Lorde, whose critically acclaimed album Virgin received zero nominations, alongside Canadian singer-songwriter Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, widely known as The Weeknd, who was also overlooked.
Amid these international frontrunners, sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar, one of India’s most significant global musicians, secured her 11th Grammy nomination in the Best Global Performance category. She shares the nod with her cousin Alam Khan and percussionist Sarathy Korwar for the song Daybreak, from Shankar’s most recent album, Chapter III: We Return to Light. This album is the third part of a trilogy, conceptually exploring the return of dawn and its multiple meanings.
Their recognition carries historical resonance, echoing the 1984 Grammy nomination of Anoushka’s father, Pandit Ravi Shankar, and his brother-in-law, sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. That nomination, for Raga Mishra Piloo Duet for Sitar, was in the Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording category and captured a live performance at Carnegie Hall. Over four decades later, the musical dialogue between the sitar and sarod continues through their children.
Anoushka, Alam Khan, and Sarathy Korwar are also nominated in the Best Global Album category. They will compete against contemporary names like new-age singer Sidhant Bhatia, whose album Sounds of Kumbh blends live field recordings from Prayagraj with ancient mantras and was commissioned by the government of Uttar Pradesh. Other contenders include Shakti’s 50th Anniversary Tour Live from 2024, featuring British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram, Shankar Mahadevan, ghatam and kanjira player V Selvaraj, and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan. The song Sreeni’s Dream, a tribute to mandolin prodigy U. Srinivas, is also nominated alongside Anoushka’s Daybreak.
In the Best Global Album category, Shakti and Anoushka will compete with Nigerian star Burna Boy, Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, and the Brazilian sibling duo Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia.
Adding further distinction to India’s Grammy representation, Madurai-born, New York-based jazz pianist Charu Suri has also been nominated. Her album Shayan (Sleep), which blends jazz improvisations with Indian classical ragas to aid sleep, is up for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. Suri will walk the red carpet at LA’s Crypto.com Arena on 1 February 2026 for a chance at the coveted golden gramophone.