The wait for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards has officially begun, with the 2026 Grammy nominations unveiled in a highly anticipated announcement. This year’s competition promises to be one of the most exciting yet, as global icons and rising stars vie for the industry’s top honours.

Kendrick Lamar Tops The List

Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with an impressive nine nominations, reaffirming his dominance in contemporary music. Lady Gaga follows with seven nominations, while Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny each earned six.

The 2026 Grammys have also spotlighted several Indian and Indian-origin musicians, underscoring the growing global influence of South Asian artists. Among them is sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar, whose work continues to garner international acclaim.

Adding to India’s pride, Shankar Mahadevan’s fusion band Shakti has earned two Grammy nominations. The recognition comes as a heartfelt tribute to the group’s late co-founder, Ustad Zakir Hussain, who passed away in December 2024.

A Tribute to Zakir Hussain

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Mahadevan expressed deep emotion over the nominations.

“Unfortunately, Zakir saheb 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 used to dream of just meeting them, and now I’ve been part of the band for 25 years, touring, performing, and now leading it; it’s truly a blessing,” he said.

Mahadevan revealed that the album was nearing completion when Hussain passed away, “We were in the process of releasing it when Zakir saheb passed away. It’s a void that can’t be filled. Creating a cohesive album from live shows was challenging, but we did it, and it’s an honour to be recognised with two Grammy nominations. We will miss him a lot,” he added.

Shakti’s Journey and Grammy Glory

Shakti’s nominated album, Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live), celebrates the group’s five-decade journey of jazz-fusion brilliance, helmed by guitar legend John McLaughlin and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

Looking ahead to the Grammy ceremony on February 1, 2026, Mahadevan reflected on the bittersweet nature of the achievement. “It’s a double joy and blessing after Shakti band’s This Moment won Grammys last year (Feb 5, 2024). But, with joy at the same time there is a sadness that Zakir bhai is not with us. We will miss him a lot.”