AR Rahman Unveils Bharat Maestro Awards To Honour Indian Classical Music Legends – News18

Last Updated:January 07, 2025, 14:37 IST

The announcement of the Bharat Maestro Awards coincided with AR Rahman’s 58th birthday.

A.R. Rahman has won many awards, including Oscars. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

The Oscar-winning singer-composer A.R. Rahman teamed up with the KM Music Conservatory to announce the launch of the Bharat Maestro Awards. The awards will recognise the timeless influence of Indian classical music and nurture the talent of the future generation. The new initiative is aimed at preserving the rich tradition and honouring the music legends associated with the genre. This news came on the legendary singer’s 58th birthday.

The launch of the Bharat Maestro Awards also coincides with the 16th anniversary of KM Music Conservatory. Founded by the award-winning singer-songwriter himself, KM Music Conservatory is a higher educational institute offering a range of part-time and full-time courses in Hindustani and Western classical music and music technology.

According to a report by Variety, A.R. Rahman and the KM Music Conservatory’s newly launched awards will honour artists associated with Indian classical music in three distinct categories. Four awards for promising young musicians, a lifetime achievement honour for educators, and a state medallion recognising the regional contributions of those who took significant steps in classical music preservation.

Recipients of this prestigious award will additionally receive cash prizes and opportunities to perform on the international stage, even collaborating with the maestro himself. The awards will be presented in the traditional Indian Guru-Shishya (Teacher-Disciple) format, with the guru presenting the awards to their “shishya” for their exceptional talent in the genre.

The award-winning composer said, “The greatest joy of a guru is to witness the success and growth of their students, and it is this bond that the Bharat Maestro Awards seeks to celebrate. The idea behind instituting this is for it to be more than just an award; it’s about connecting the past, present, and future of music and uniting us all through the language of sound.”

Musicians who will form the mentor panel include renowned names like Asha Bhosle, Amjad Ali Khan, Bombay Jayashri and Ajoy Chakrabarty. The advisory board would comprise Ila Paliwal, Sai Shravanam, Bharat Bala, Fathima Rafiq, Khatija Rahman, Adam Greig and Clint Valladares.

The official page of A.R. Rahman’s team also shared the update on Instagram. Sharing a screengrab of the article published by Variety, his team wrote, “Honored to announce the launch of the #BharatMaestroAwards, celebrating the timeless art of Indian classical music.

They further added, “Together, we honour bright talents, educators, and regional pioneers who keep this rich legacy alive. Let’s connect past, present, and future through the universal language of music.”