Arooj Aftab becomes the first Pakistani to perform at Grammy Awards

Pakistan’s first-ever Grammy Award winner, Arooj Aftab, needs no introduction. The 37-year-old vocalist, who made the nation proud on international level, returned to the Grammy Premiere Ceremony to open the 2023 awards, and performed on the stage.

Aftab stood beside Anoushka Shankar to sing their soulful track, Udhero Na. Though Aftab couldn't secure the prestigious Academy Award this year, her crowd-pulling performance gave goosebumps to everyone in the audience. 

Accompanied by her British-Indian sitar-playing friend, the duo mesmerized the onlookers with their soothing vocals and melody.

While the Brooklyn-based star won last year for Mohabbat, her catchy songs helped her list among former US president Barack Obama’s 2021 summer playlist, which paved her way into international stardom and landed a win at the Academy Awards.

Surprisingly, Aftab was the only artist to has won a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance since the category was introduced last year, beating out likes of Burna Boy, Yo-Yo Ma and Wizkid. 

Shankar, on the other hand, has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards to date.

On the work front, Aftab secured the inaugural award for Best Global Music Performance with Mohabbat, along with her Best New Artist nomination in 2022.

Arooj Aftab misses out on second Grammy award