Grammy 2025: Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shankar, Varijashree Venugopal Represent India Among Nominees

The nominees for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards were revealed on Friday, highlighting both well-known and emerging talents from India and the Indian diaspora. This year, artists such as Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shankar, Varijashree Venugopal, Radhika Vekaria, and Chandrika Tandon have received recognition.

Ricky Kej, a two-time Grammy Award winner

Ricky Kej, a two-time Grammy Award winner, secured a nomination in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category for his album Break of Dawn. Other nominees in this category include Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn by sitar virtuoso and composer Anoushka Shankar, Warriors of Light by Indian-origin artist Radhika Vekaria, and Triveni by Chandrika Tandon, who collaborated with flautist Wouter Kellerman and cellist Eru Matsumoto on the album.

Anoushka Shankar’s recognition extends further with a second nomination for her collaboration with British musician Jacob Collier on the track A Rock Somewhere, which is nominated for Best Global Music Performance. This song also features Varijashree Venugopal, a Bengaluru-based vocalist and composer, who receives her first Grammy nomination. Venugopal also contributed to Ricky Kej’s Break of Dawn.

Indian artists

Ricky Kej, who won his first Grammy in 2015 for Winds of Samsara alongside Wouter Kellerman, received his second in 2022 for Divine Tides, an album he created with Stewart Copeland of The Police. Both of these albums were recognized in the Best New Age Album category. In 2023, Kej earned his third Grammy for the immersive audio version of Divine Tides, which won Best Immersive Audio Album.

Although no Indian artists are nominated in the Best Global Music Album category this year, there is strong representation from the South Asian region through Arooj Aftab, a Pakistani-origin artist based in the U.S., who earned two nominations. Aftab is in the running for Best Alternative Jazz Album with Night Reign and Best Global Music Performance for Raat Ki Rani, alongside Collier’s A Rock Somewhere.

The 67th Grammy Awards will take place on February 2, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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