65th Grammy Awards: Anoushka Shankar to perform at the Premiere Ceremony

The talented sitar performer and current Grammy nominee Anoushka Shankar will perform at the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, 65th Annual Grammy Awards on February 5, 2023, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The sitar player, producer, film composer, activist, and nine-time Grammy Award nominee will perform alongside vocalist Arooj Aftab on their Grammy-nominated track Udhero Na from Arooj's new album, Vulture Prince, making it her third Grammy performance. 

While Udhero Na from Vulture Prince is up for Best Global Music Performance, Anoushka's latest album, Between Us (Live) with Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley featuring Manu Delago has also been nominated for Best Global Music Album this year.

As a result, Anoushka accomplishes the incredible feat of becoming the first Indian female singer to be nominated for two Grammys in the same year.

Anoushka Shankar informed news agency IANS, "I'm genuinely over the moon to be performing at the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony for the third time. This time I'm excited to share the stage with the wonderful Arooj Aftab, playing her beautiful song Udhero Na. I'm grateful my music on this song and on my album Between Us has been recognized with a nomination again and am proud to represent India and my instrument, the sitar, on this world stage." 

This announcement coincides with Anoushka's fresh inaugural empanelment as a Visiting Professor in Music at Oxford University.

This new role by the Oxford Faculty of Music, in conjunction with the Said Business School and Jesus College is designed to recognize the achievements and contributions of diverse figures across the music industry, and to forge connections and expand the dialogue between students and academics in the University and the wider industry. 

In 2016, in a similar vein, Anoushka made an impactful presence within the UK education system, when she became one of the first five female composers to be added to the UK A-level music syllabus, a move that heralded a more diverse, inclusive, and representative syllabus and guaranteed better female representation in the Western classical tradition. 

Anoushka Shankar further adds, "What a true honor to be invited as the Inaugural Visiting Professor in Music Business at Oxford University! I'm deeply grateful to embark upon this new journey." 

The award ceremony will stream live on Sun, Feb. 5, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.grammy.com.