'Shame'—Fans outraged over Zakir Hussain's omission from Grammys 'In Memoriam'
What's the story
The 67th Grammy Awards, which took place on Monday (IST) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, stirred controversy when it did not feature four-time Grammy winner and Indian tabla maestro Zakir Hussain in its "In Memoriam" segment.
The annual tribute pays homage to music industry legends who passed away in the previous year.
Hussain, who passed away on December 15 due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, was notably missing from this year's tribute.
Fan reactions
Social media backlash over Hussain's Grammy tribute omission
The Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, was slammed on social media for leaving Hussain out of the tribute.
Users were disappointed with comments like "How come no mention of Zakir Hussain in Grammy obituary #Grammys2025 he was a winner last year (sic)."
Another user wrote, "Big miss. I didn't see @RecordingAcad mention Zakir Hussain in the Memoriam section. #GRAMMYs."
"Shame not to see 4-time winner and multiple times nominee Zakir Hussain in the Grammy tribute," another noted.
Event highlights
Grammy Awards: Artists honored and performances
The "In Memoriam" segment of the 67th Grammy Awards honored a number of musicians such as late One Direction singer Liam Payne, Quincy Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Cissy Houston, Tito Jackson, Joe Chambers, Jack Jones, Mary Martin, Marianne Faithfull, Seiji Ozawa, and Ella Jenkins.
Singer Chris Martin and guitarist Grace Bowers performed the tribute.
Comedian Trevor Noah hosted the event for the fifth consecutive year.
Career highlights
Hussain's historic Grammy achievements and untimely demise
Hussain made history at the 66th Grammy Awards as the first Indian musician to win three Grammys.
His death at age 73 in a San Francisco hospital due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was a huge loss for the music industry.
The Guardian called him the most recognizable exponent of the tabla, while The New York Times noted that the "blur of his fingers rivals the beat of a hummingbird's wings."