Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain was not included in the In-Memorium segment of Grammys 2025. He made history last year as the first Indian musician to win three Grammys.
Zakir Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammys.
Grammy 2025 seems to have hit the wrong note with Indian music lovers. Four-time Grammy winner and Indian tabla maestro Zakir Hussain was left out from the In Memoriam segment of the 67th Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony, organised by the Recording Academy, was held on Sunday in Los Angeles. Zakir Hussain, a legend who drummed up global fame for Indian classical music, seemingly got ghosted at the biggest night in music. And Indians are not having it!
Every year, the Grammys pay tribute to legends who passed away in the year gone by in its In Memoriam montage. Notably, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammys at last year’s ceremony..
Social media was quick to react with a mix of disbelief and downright disapproval. Fans took to Twitter, Instagram, and every comment section imaginable to call out the organisers for failing to honour the legendary musician. “How come no mention of Zakir Hussain in Grammy obituary #Grammys2025 he was a winner last year” wrote one on X. “Big miss. I didn’t see @RecordingAcad mention Zakir Hussain in the memoriam section. #GRAMMYs,” said another.
“Shame not to see 4 time winner and multiple times nominee Zakir Hussain in the Grammy tribute to artists lost recently. Real shame. SVP #GRAMMYs #Grammys2025 #ZakirHussain @RecordingAcad,” read another post.
“I think it was an oversight. Because the list of people from the music industry we lost in 2024 mentions his name but the “In Memoriam” page doesn’t. Shame,” read another comment on X.
Zakir Hussain wasn’t just a national treasure – he was a global sensation with a career spanning decades, Grammy wins to his name, and collaborations with artists across the planet. Hussain passed away at the age of 73 in San Francisco in December 2024. He died of complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola and his daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.
During the Grammys 2025 event, several musicians were honoured such as Liam Payne, Kris Kristofferson, Cissy Houston, Tito Jackson, Joe Chambers, Jack Jones, Mary Martin, Marianne Faithfull, Seiji Ozawa, and Ella Jenkins.
