Anoushka Shankar Chooses Mental Well-being Over Grammy Ceremony Attendance
Sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar has made a conscious decision to prioritize her mental health and artistic integrity over attending the prestigious Grammy Awards ceremony, despite receiving two nominations this year. In a candid social media post, she revealed the emotional and financial burdens associated with chasing recognition in the highly competitive music industry.
The Emotional Toll of Award Season
While expressing pride in her nominations for Chapter III: We Return to Light and its lead song Daybreak, Shankar openly discussed the psychological strain that accompanies major award events. "It feels really good NOT to be in LA getting sucked into the whirlwind of interlocking excitement and stress that comes with major awards events," she wrote on Instagram, highlighting the complex emotions artists experience during such occasions.
Instead of participating in the Grammy festivities in Los Angeles, the celebrated musician chose to remain in India, where she found greater meaning and connection. "This year, I made a conscious decision not to go and to be on the road in India during the ceremony," she explained, emphasizing her commitment to practicing what she preaches about artistic values.
Financial and Psychological Costs of Recognition
Shankar detailed the substantial expenses and anxiety that come with award show participation, noting how the process can negatively impact mental well-being. "Sometimes the process of spending literally thousands of dollars on the privilege of flying, attending, marketing and getting sucked in to the machine, hugely anxious about outfits and red carpets, starting to hope to win and then not winning can take a toll," she revealed.
Her decision reflects a growing awareness among artists about the hidden costs of pursuing external validation. By choosing to perform with her band in India rather than attending the ceremony, Shankar demonstrated that genuine artistic fulfillment often comes from connection rather than accolades.
Finding Grounding in Artistic Roots
The musician described her time in India as particularly meaningful, noting that "Being here in India, where Chapter III really began, working and laughing and playing with my incredible band and crew, is the stuff of reality, of my TRUEST artistic life." This perspective underscores her belief that awards matter less than the authentic experiences artists share with their audiences.
Shankar's approach echoes sentiments previously expressed by other Indian artists who have questioned the value of commercial awards. Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has similarly evolved in his perspective, stating that while awards can provide encouragement, the true reward comes from audience appreciation rather than industry recognition.
Psychological Insights on Achievement Pressure
Counselling psychologists note that external markers of success like awards can create significant psychological strain due to their public, comparative nature. "Awards and recognition put people in constant comparison, which activates threat systems in the brain—fear of losing status, relevance, or belonging," explains one expert.
This pressure becomes particularly pronounced in cultural contexts where success carries additional symbolic weight. The distinction between healthy ambition and achievement-driven stress lies in how individuals experience their pursuit of goals—whether it feels expansive and meaningful or constrictive and fear-based.
Balancing Ambition with Well-being
Experts suggest several indicators that ambition may be crossing into harmful territory:
- When rest feels like failure rather than rejuvenation
- When outcomes matter more than the learning process
- When self-worth fluctuates with external results
- When chronic exhaustion and irritability become persistent
Shankar's decision to skip the Grammys represents a conscious choice to prioritize psychological health over industry recognition, sparking important conversations about how artists and professionals across fields can pursue excellence without sacrificing their well-being.
