Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shankar, Varijashree Venugopal Among India Nominees at Grammys 2025
Bengaluru-based artist Kej picks up his fourth nomination for his 2024 album ‘Break of Dawn,’ while Shankar and Venugopal’s collaboration with Jacob Collier ‘A Rock Somewhere’ is up for Best Global Music Performance
(From left to right) Varijashree Venugopal, Ricky Kej and Anoushka Shankar are representing India at the Grammy Awards 2025 as nominees. Photos: Eric Meurice (Varijashree), Laura Lewis (Shankar), Courtesy of Vedam Records
Familiar and new Indian and Indian-origin names like Ricky Kej, Anoushka Shankar, Varijashree Venugopal, Radhika Vekaria and Chandrika Tandon have come to the front as the nominations for the 67th Recording Academy Awards were announced earlier today.
At the upcoming Grammy Awards 2025, Kej is nominated in the Best New Age, Ambient, Or Chant Album for his album Break Of Dawn, while the category also features Indian-origin sitarist, singer-songwriter and composer Anoushka Shankar’s album Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn. The category also features Indian-origin artist Radhika Vekaria’s album Warriors Of Light and entrepreneur and artist Chandrika Tandon’s album Triveni, made with floutist Wouter Kellerman and cellist Éru Matsumoto.
Shankar is also nominated for a second Grammy this time, for featuring on British multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jacob Collier’s song “A Rock Somewhere” in the Best Global Music Performance category. The song also features Bengaluru-based vocalist, flautist and composer Varijashree Venugopal, earning her first nomination. Venugopal also contributed to Kej’s album Break Of Dawn.
Kej won his first Grammy award in 2015 for his album Winds of Samsara with Wouter Kellerman. It was in 2022 that Kej earned his second Grammy win for Divine Tides, his album with The Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Both wins came in the Best New Age Album category, while Kej’s third Grammy win was for a new mix and master for Divine Tides, earning him and Copeland the Grammy for Best Immersive Audio Album in 2023.
Ricky Kej said in a statement about his Grammy nomination, “I am honored to have Break of Dawn recognized by The Recording Academy. This album is deeply personal, reflecting my belief in music as a transformative force for the health and well-being of our planet and its people. I hope it inspires all of us to experience music not just as entertainment, but as a source of comfort and healing.”
Although Indian artists were missing from the Best Global Music Album category, there was more familiar representation from the Indian subcontinent with Pakistani-origin, U.S. artist Arooj Aftab picking up two Grammy nominations. Aftab is up for Best Alternative Jazz Album for Night Reign and Best Global Music Performance for “Raat Ki Rani” with Collier’s “A Rock Somewhere” and more songs.
Although not direct nominees, a few Indian-origin and Indian artists’ contributions have ended up getting Grammy nominations. New Delhi-based Vocalist and entrepreneur Siddhant Bhatia’s vocals appear on “The Rebel’s Right” from blues artist Antonio Vergara’s album The Fury, up for Best Contemporary Blues Album. New York-based Indian-origin singer-composer Priya Darshini’s vocals on DJ-producer Zedd’s “Shanti” from his 2024 album Telos (along with a choir of Hindustani classical-leaning vocalists and percussionist B.C. Manjunath), nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
The 2025 Grammys are scheduled to take place Feb. 2, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
