New Delhi: The wait for the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards has officially begun, with the 2026 GRAMMY nominations unveiled in a much-awaited announcement. This year’s competition promises to be one of the most exciting yet, as global icons and rising stars compete for the industry’s top honors.
Kendrick Lamar tops this list
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with an impressive nine nominations, confirming his dominance in contemporary music. Lady Gaga is second with seven nominations, while Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny each earned six nominations.
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The 2026 Grammys also highlighted several Indian and Indian-origin musicians, underscoring the growing global influence of South Asian artists. These include sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar, whose work is garnering international praise.
Making India proud, Shankar Mahadevan’s fusion band Shakti has earned two Grammy nominations. This recognition comes as a heartfelt tribute to the group’s late co-founder, Ustad Zakir Hussain, who passed away in December 2024.
Tribute to Zakir Hussain
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Mahadevan expressed deep emotions over the nomination.
He said, “Unfortunately, Zakir Sahab is no more, so we are dedicating his album to him. He and John McLaughlin founded Shakti 50 years ago, and I joined in 2000. I dreamed of meeting him, and now I’ve been a part of the band for 25 years, touring, performing and now leading it; it’s truly a blessing.”
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Mahadevan revealed that the album was nearing completion when Hussain passed away, “We were in the process of releasing it when Zakir saab passed away. It’s a void that can’t be filled. It was challenging to make a cohesive album from live shows, but we did it, and to be recognized with two Grammy nominations is an honor. We’ll miss him dearly,” he said.
Power Trip and Grammy glory
Shakti’s eponymous album, Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live), celebrates a five-decade journey of the group’s jazz-fusion talent, guided by guitar legend John McLaughlin and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.
While looking ahead to the Grammy ceremony on February 1, 2026, Mahadevan reflected on the bittersweet nature of the accomplishment. “It is double happiness and blessing after Shakti Band’s ‘This Moment’ won the Grammy last year (February 5, 2024). But, along with happiness, there is also a sadness that Zakir Bhai is not with us. We will miss him dearly.”