Shankar Mahadevan Honours Zakir Hussain As Shakti Earns Grammy Nominations: It's A Void That Can't Be Filled

The

wait for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards has finally begun! An official announcement of the Grammy nominations 2026 has been made. And this time, the competition has just got bigger and better. Kendrick Lamar is leading the nominations after receiving nine nods. On the other hand, Lady Gaga bagged seven nominations, followed by Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny with six nominations each. Several Indian and Indian-origin artists have found themselves in the spotlight as well, including sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar. Also, joining in is Shankar Mahadevan's Shakti, and the singer-composer has dedicated the nominations to the group’s late co-founder, Ustad Zakir Hussain, who passed away in December 2024.

Shankar Mahadevan 'Misses' Zakir Hussain

Talking to Hindustan Times, Mahadevan expressed his sadness and said, "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." Further, he added, "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."

Shakti Receives Two Nominations In Grammys

Mahadevan expressed both pride and melancholy ahead of the Grammy ceremony, scheduled for February 1, 2026. "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," he shared. Shakti's Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live) is a celebration of the legendary jazz-fusion group's five-decade journey, led by John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain.