Dalai Lama, Timothee Chalamet, And Anoushka Shankar Among Grammys 2026 Nominations

Sorry Swifties and Beehives, neither of your fandoms' motherships have been nominated for Grammys 2026. Hold up though, you guys aren't the only ones clutching your pearls as The Weekend, Shawn Mendes, Miley Cyrus and Coldplay but excluding Justin Bieber have not made it to the final cut either.

THE RECORDING ACADEMY

More than 23000 entries were made this year for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards slated for February 1, 2026 across 95 categories. But unlike the former years, somewhow some of pop's most favourite will be seen attending the ceremony as guests rather than nominees.

And while the usual suspects might be sulking, there’s a new narrative quietly stealing the spotlight: Indian and Indian-origin artists. From Anoushka Shankar’s sitar mastery to Shakti’s fusion reinvention, and Charu Suri’s jazz-raga experiments to Siddhant Bhatia’s devotional-electronic meditations, 2026 is shaping up to be the year India’s soundscape claims a permanent seat at the global Grammy table.

Nominated in the Best Global Music Performances categories daughter of Pt. Ravi Shankar, Anoushka (Daybreak by Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar), will be competing with Shankar Mahadevan's band Shakti's Shrini's Dream (Live), Bad Bunny's EoO, Yeisy Rojas's Inmigrante Y Que? , Cantando en el Camino by Ciro Hurtado and Angelique Kidjo's JERUSALEMA.

In the Best Global Music Album category, Shankar also contends alongside other Indian-origin nominees, including Siddhant Bhatia (Sounds of Kumbha), a 12-track collection blending devotional themes with contemporary arrangements, and her collaborative album Chapter III: We Return To Light with Alam Khan and drummer Sarathy Korwar.

Adding to India’s strong representation is Charu Suri, an Indo-American jazz pianist and composer nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Shayan. Suri’s work, seamlessly merging Indian ragas with jazz influences, has earned acclaim for its originality and emotional depth. Her earlier compositions, like A Little Joy and Bluesy, have also been celebrated for their innovative style.

But this year’s nominations are also full of unexpected first-timers, proving the Grammys can still surprise. Among them: Timothée Chalamet, venturing into the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media category, for his musical performance playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown while the 90-year-old Dalai Lama has been nominated for the first time ever for Best Spoken Word Album. He would be competing in the same category as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Fab Morvan (formerly of Milli Vanilli fame).

More than ever, the 68th Grammy seems to really not be all about pop icons and Hollywood. They’re about global voices, eclectic talent, and occasionally, a very wise 90-year-old monk.