Sonu Nigam (born 30 July 1973) is an Indian singer, music director and actor. He has been described in the media as one of the most popular and successful
playback singers of
Hindi Cinema and
Kannada Cinema
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...
. He has been honoured by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
with
Padma Shri
Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
, the country's
fourth-highest civilian honour for his contribution in the field of arts.
Nigam sings predominantly in
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
and
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
language films but has also sung in
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
,
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
,
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
Odia,
Bhojpuri
Bhojpuri (;[Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries](_blank)
, Oxford U ...
,
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
,
Nepali,
Tulu,
Chhattisgarhi and other Indian languages.
Nigam has released a number of non-film albums and acted in some
Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
. He is known as the "Modern Rafi", a title given to him after his musical idol
Mohammad Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
.
Life and background
![Sonu Nigam & Madhurima Nigam at Rakesh Roshan’s birthday bash](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Sonu_Nigam_%26_Madhurima_Nigam_at_Rakesh_Roshan%E2%80%99s_birthday_bash.jpg)
Sonu Nigam was born on 30 July 1973 to Agam Kumar Nigam and Shobha Nigam in the city of
Faridabad
Faridabad is the most populous city in the Indian state of Haryana and a part of Delhi National Capital Region. It is one of the major satellite cities around Delhi and is located 284 kilometres south of the state capital Chandigarh. The ri ...
,
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...
.
His father was from
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...
and his mother was from
Garhwal. His sister
Teesha Nigam
Teesha Nigam (born 21 December) is an Indian playback singer and the sister of famed Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam.
Teesha achieved limelight with the song 'Dheera Dheera' from Magadheera, for which she won the Best Debutant Female Singe ...
is also a professional singer. He also has another sister Meenal Nigam who is a Bengaluru-based yoga practitioner.
Nigam began singing at the age of four, when he joined his father Agam Kumar Nigam on stage to sing
Mohammed Rafi's song "Kya Hua Tera Wada". Nigam began accompanying his father on his singing appearances at weddings and parties. He moved to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
with his father to begin his
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
singing career at the age of 19.
He was trained by Hindustani classical singer
Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan
Ghulam Mustafa Khan (3 March 1931 – 17 January 2021) was an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani classical music tradition, belonging to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhushan ...
.
Nigam identifies as
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
. He married Madhurima Mishra on 15 February 2002. They have a son named Nevaan.
Nigam had changed his name to ''Sonu Niigaam'' citing numerology beliefs, but later decided to go back to his birth name.
Singing and composing work
![Sonu Nigam121](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Sonu_Nigam121.jpg)
He has recorded
Romantic,
Rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
Devotional,
Ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
and Patriotic songs. He has sung in
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
,
Odia,
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
,
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Maithili,
bhojpuri
Bhojpuri (;[Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries](_blank)
, Oxford U ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
,
Manipuri,
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
,
Nepali,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
and
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
till date.
Nigam has released pop albums in
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
,
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Odia,
Chhattisgarhi and
Punjabi, as well as
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and
Islamic devotional albums. He has released several
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
albums. Nigam has performed in countries in North America,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, the Middle East,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
,
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
In May–June 2007, he participated in The Incredibles tour with
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur
and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in th ...
,
Kunal Ganjawala, and
Kailash Kher
Kailash Kher (born 7 July 1973) is an Indian music composer and singer. He sings songs with a music style influenced by Indian folk music and Sufi music. He was inspired by the classical musicians' Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Hridaynath Ma ...
. From September–October of the same year, he gave solo concerts titled Simply Sonu in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, becoming the first Indian singer to do so. In April 2008, he toured India promoting his Punjabi single "Punjabi Please".
1992–1999: Starting of his career
Sonu Nigam started his career with the song Hum To Chhaila Ban Gaye (Episode No 9) From DD1's TV serial "
Talash" (1992).
Sonu Nigam first Movie song "O Aasman Wale" from the movie "
Aaja Meri Jaan
''Aaja Meri Jaan'' () is a 1993 Hindi-language romantic thriller film, written by Pawan Sethi and directed by Ketan Anand. It stars Krishan Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Pran, Prem Chopra, and Deven Verma.
Plot
In the opening scene, a priest is sta ...
" (1993). He released his first album "Rafi Ki Yaadein" in 1993.
After this, he sung in the movies "
Muqabla" (1993), "
Veerta
''Veertaa'' is a 1993 Indian film directed by Shibu Mitra. The movie stars Sunny Deol, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jaya Prada, Shantipriya, Neena Gupta, Shakti Kapoor, Prem Chopra in pivotal roles.
Plot
Balwant Roy (Pradeep Kumar) is a big industr ...
" (1993),"
Meherban" (1993), "
Shabnam
Jharna Basak (born 17 August 1946), known by her stage name Shabnam, is a Bangladeshi–Pakistani stage and film actress. Actor Waheed Murad introduced her to the Pakistani film industry by offering her a lead role in his film '' Samundar'' in ...
" (1993), "
ttps://pagalfree.com/music/zindagi-ki-rahon-mein-ranzo-gh-1993.html Kasam Teri Kasam (1993), "
Aag" (1994), "
Cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
" (1994) "
Khuddar
Khuddar ( Self-Respecting) is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Iqbal Durrani and starring Govinda, Karishma Kapoor and Kader Khan. Other cast includes Shakti Kapoor, Shreeram Lagoo, Anjana Mumtaz, Raju Shrestha, Mahesh Ana ...
" (1994), "
Hulchul" (1994), "
Stuntman" (1994),
Police Lockup (1995) "
Ramjaane" (1995), "
Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi
''Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi'' ( ''Player of Players'') is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language action film starring Rekha in her first villain role, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and former WWF (now WWE) wrestlers "Crush" and Brian Lee as "The Undertaker" ...
" (1996), "
Papa Kahte Hain
''Papa Kahte Hain'' is a 1996 Indian Hindi romance film directed by Mahesh Bhatt. The film starred Jugal Hansraj and Mayuri Kango, with Tiku Talsania, Anupam Kher and Alok Nath in supporting roles.
Plot
Sweety lives with her mother, maternal ...
" (1996) ,"
Gaddaar" (1995), "
Dand Nayak" (1998), "
Jaanwar" (1999), "
Barsaat" (1995), "
Aur Pyar Ho Gaya" (1997), "
Badal
''Badal'' () is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Raj Kanwar. The film stars Bobby Deol and Rani Mukerji in lead roles with Amrish Puri. The movie is inspired by ''The Devil's Own'' (1997), starring Harrison Ford ...
" (1999), "
Dulhe Raja
''Dulhe Raja'' (transl. ''Groom King'') is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film starring Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Kader Khan, Johnny Lever, Prem Chopra and Asrani.
Plot
K. K. Singhania a business tycoon buys an expensive hotel "M ...
" (1998), "
Jeet" (1996), "
Hero No. 1" (1997), "
Soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
" (1998), "
Devta" (1998), "
Keemat" (1998)"
,Himmatvar" (1996),
Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) "
Shera" (1999), "
Sooryavansham
''Sooryavansham'' (, ) is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical drama film directed by E. V. V. Satyanarayana. It stars Amitabh Bachchan in dual roles, with Soundarya, Jayasudha, Rachna Banerjee, Anupam Kher and Kader Khan. The fi ...
" (1999), "
Hogi pyar ki jeet" (1999) and many more.
He began hosting the hugely popular TV show, ''
Sa Re Ga Ma
Saregama India Ltd. (Saregama refers to the first four notes of the Indian musical scale); formerly known as The Gramophone Company Of India Ltd. is India's oldest music label owned by the RP- Sanjiv Goenka Group of companies. The company i ...
'' in 1995. His song "Accha Sila Diya" for the film "
Bewafa Sanam
''Bewafa Sanam'' () is a 1995 Hindi-language musical thriller film directed and produced by Gulshan Kumar. It stars his younger brother Krishan Kumar, Shilpa Shirodkar, Aruna Irani, Beena Banerjee, Shakti Kapoor and Kiran Kumar. The screenpl ...
", gave him greater success.
In 1997, he sang the patriotic song "
Sandese Aate Hai
Sandese Aate Hai ( hi, संदेसे आते है, ) is a patriotic song from the 1997 movie ''Border'', directed by J. P. Dutta. It was written by Javed Akhtar, composed by Anu Malik and sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam. The ...
" from the movie "
Border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
" and performed the
Nadeem-Shravan-composed song "Yeh Dil Deewana" in "
Pardes" in the same year, both of which were highly successful.
Some of his notable songs were "Zindagi Maut na Ban Jaye" from
Sarfarosh
''Sarfarosh'' () is a 1999 Indian action drama film written, produced and directed by John Matthew Matthan and starring Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Sonali Bendre and Mukesh Rishi. John started working on ''Sarfarosh'' in 1992. Seven years ...
(1999), "Satrangi Re" from
Dil Se
''Dil Se..'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma, and Shekhar Kapur. Set in the backdrop of Insurgency in Assam, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan ...
, "Ishq Bina" from
Taal, "Mujhe Raat Din" from
Sangharsh, "Ruki Ruki" from
Mast, and his debut in Tamil "Vaarayo Thozhi" from
Jeans .Sonu's album ''
Deewana'', with music directed by
Sajid–Wajid
Sajid–Wajid was an Indian Bollywood Hindi film music director duo consisting of brothers Sajid Khan and Wajid Khan, the sons of Sharafat Ali Khan, a tabla player.
Wajid Khan, the younger of the two brothers, died on June 1, 2020. Since th ...
, was released by T-Series in 1999.
2000-2010s: Career peak and multiple awards and nominations
His popular songs during this period were "Suraj Hua Maddham" from ''
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' and "
Panchi Nadiya Pawan Ke
"Panchi Nadiya Pawan Ke" is a 2000 Hindi song from the film '' Refugee''. The song is composed by Anu Malik with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It was sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik and picturised on Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor.
Awards ...
" from the film ''
Refugee'', both of which he sang along with
Alka Yagnik, "Tanhayee" from ''
Dil Chahta Hai
''Dil Chahta Hai'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Farhan Akhtar. It was produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and released under the banner of Excel Entertainment (which Akhtar and Sidhwani ...
'', "Tu Fiza Hai" from ''
Fiza
''Fiza'', also known as ''Fiza: In Search Of Her Brother'', is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film written and directed by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor as the eponymous lead, along with Hrithik Roshan as her terrorist ...
'' among others. He received his first
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
for the title song of the film
''Saathiya'', which was composed by
A.R. Rahman, with lyrics by
Gulzar
Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known professionally as Gulzar, is an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this ...
. His biggest success during this period was the song "
Kal Ho Naa Ho
''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
" from ''
Kal Ho Naa Ho
''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
'' (2003), composed by
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, with lyrics by
Javed Akhtar. "Kal Ho Naa Ho" earned him the
National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The following is a list of winners of the National Film Award (Silver Lotus Award) for Best Male Playback singer. The award was first granted to Mahendra Kapoor in the year 1967. The singers whose performances have won awards have worked in nine ...
as well as the
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
.
2004 onwards, his popular songs include "Main Hoon Na" and "Tumse Milke Dil ka" from the film ''
Main Hoon Na
''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, ...
'', "Do Pal" from ''
Veer-Zaara
''Veer-Zaara'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, who co-produced it with his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (K ...
'', which he sang along with
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her con ...
, "Chup Chup ke" from ''
Bunty Aur Babli
''Bunty Aur Babli'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film directed by Shaad Ali and written by Jaideep Sahni, based on a story by Aditya Chopra, who serves as producer under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Abhishek Ba ...
'', "Pyar Ki Ek Kahani" and "Koi Tumsa Nahin" from the film ''
Krrish
''Krrish'' () is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra while Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha, Manini Mishra, Archana Puran Singh and Sharat Saxena feature in ...
'', which he sang with
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
, "Sun Zara" and "Chori Chori Chupke Se" from
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
starrer ''
Lucky: No Time for Love'', "Dekho Na" and "Mere Haath Mein" from ''
Fanaa'' both with
Sunidhi Chauhan, "Inn Lamhon ke Daaman Mein" from ''
Jodhaa Akbar
''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...
'', and "Main Agar Kahoon" from ''
Om Shanti Om
''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies ...
''. In the film ''
Parineeta'', he sang four songs with
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
. His most successful and acclaimed songs during this period were "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna", "Tumhi Dekho Naa" and "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna - Sad Version" from ''
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (), also abbreviated as ''KANK'', is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced by his mother Hiroo Yash Johar, in her debut, under the Dharma Productions ...
'' (2006), composed by
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and lyrics by
Javed Akhtar, all of which he sang alongside
Alka Yagnik.
He was also the leading playback singer in ''
3 Idiots'', rendering the songs "Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe", "Zoobi Doobi" and "Aal Izz Well". In the film ''
Kurbaan'', he sang the song "Shukran Allah" along with Salim Merchant of the composer duo
Salim-Sulaiman and
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
, which was appreciated.
Nigam has released albums of
Mohammed Rafi's songs including ''Rafi Ki Yaadein'', a collection early in his career, which was re-released in Rafi's memory in September 2007 as a six-disc collection of 100 songs, titled ''Kal Aaj Aur Kal''.
In 2008, soon after releasing ''Classically Mild'', he released a single Punjabi track entitled "Punjabi Please" and ''Rafi Resurrected'', a two-disc collection of Rafi songs with music by the
Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The Birmingham Symphony Orchestra was a professional symphony orchestra based in Birmingham, England between 1906 and 1918.
The orchestra was founded as a self-governing organisation run on cooperative lines by musicians from George Halford's Or ...
. He contributed to the lyrics of several songs and directed the music for his album ''Chanda Ki Doli''.
After the death of
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, Nigam released a song as a tribute to Jackson which was included on the tribute album ''The Beat of Our Hearts''.
In November 2007, at the inauguration of
Harvard University's 28th president,
Drew Gilpin Faust
Catharine Drew Gilpin Faust (born September 18, 1947) is an American historian and was the 28th president of Harvard University, the first woman to serve in that role. She was Harvard's first president since 1672 without an undergraduate or gradu ...
, Nigam sang
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
's favourite
bhajan
Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...
, "Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye", with the Harvard College Sangeet.
In July 2008, he participated in a three-city tour of the United Kingdom, singing Rafi songs with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). This followed the release of these songs by the CBSO and the Indian music company
Sa Re Ga Ma
Saregama India Ltd. (Saregama refers to the first four notes of the Indian musical scale); formerly known as The Gramophone Company Of India Ltd. is India's oldest music label owned by the RP- Sanjiv Goenka Group of companies. The company i ...
on ''Rafi Resurrected''.
He participated in a US tour with
Sunidhi Chauhan in 2009 called The Explosion 2009 tour and in a UK tour titled ''All Izz Well'' in November 2010. In 2011, Nigam collaborated with Kakas Entertainment and
Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Laxmikant–Pyarelal were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Patil Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 1940). He is known by the nickname “Pyromaniac” due to his flaming style of music.
Laxmikan ...
for a Maestros Concert performing
Mohammed Rafi songs.
2010–present: Continuing work in Bollywood and multiple concerts and several English Collaborations
In 2010, Sonu sang the popular song "Chori Kiya Re Jiya" from ''
Dabangg
''Dabangg'' () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Abhinav Singh Kashyap and produced by Malaika Arora Khan and Arbaaz Khan under Arbaaz Khan Productions with Dhilin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. Kha ...
'' as well as ''
Tees Maar Khan Tees Maar Khan () may refer to:
*Mahboob Ali Khan
Asaf Jah VI, also known as, Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi (17 August 1866 – 29 August 1911) was the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad state, one of the Princely states in ...
'' title track which he sang in 54 voices. Sonu also sang "Aye Janani" song for ''
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
'' in which he hit the highest note in human vocal registry with an open-throat effort without singing falsetto.
Sonu was awarded
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
2010 for his song 'All izz Well',
BIG Star Entertainment Awards for Best Playback Singer of the Decade (2000–2010) (MALE) and Global Indian Music Award for Best Live Performer (Male) in 2010.
In 2011, Nigam collaborated with
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
on a remix of her "
I Wanna Go
"I Wanna Go" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale'' (2011). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted on her Twitt ...
" track, and with DJ
Avicii
Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first re ...
on his song "Indian Levels", produced by Avicii in 2012. In 2011, Sonu also collaborated with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's brother
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackso ...
on song "This Is It" which was written & composed by Sonu as tribute to Michael after his death.
Sonu also performed song "Let's Go for Glory" at
2011 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony composed by Sonu himself.
Between 2012 and 2015 many of Sonu's songs were redubbed in other singer's voices by music companies because of his fight for singers' royalties and opposition to sign illegal contracts with companies. Sonu said "I am not scared of being out of work because eventually good sense will prevail,".
In 2012, Sonu's song
Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin
"Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" () is a song from the film '' Agneepath'', sung by Sonu Nigam, with music by Ajay–Atul and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and was picturized on Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra. This song describes many feelings in a s ...
from Agneepath became a huge success. For this song Sonu won many awards including
5th Mirchi Music Awards
The 5th Mirchi Music Awards, presented by the Radio Mirchi, honoured the best of Hindi music from the year 2012. The ceremony was held on 7 February 2013 and was hosted by Ayushmann Khurana and Meiyang Chang. '' Agneepath'' won a leading seven aw ...
for Male Vocalist of The Year",
BIG Star Entertainment Awards 2012, 18th Lions Gold Awards,
2013 Zee Cine Awards, 19th Lions Gold Award, 2013
Times of India Film Awards
The Times of India Film Awards (also known as TOIFA Awards) are presented by ''The Times of India'' to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The awards were first introduced ...
and many more. He was also nominated for Best Male Playback Singer at Filmfare Awards. He considers
Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin
"Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" () is a song from the film '' Agneepath'', sung by Sonu Nigam, with music by Ajay–Atul and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and was picturized on Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra. This song describes many feelings in a s ...
as one of his best songs.
He composed the title track of the film ''
Singh Saab The Great
''Singh Saab the Great'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Anil Sharma. The film stars Sunny Deol, Urvashi Rautela, Amrita Rao and Prakash Raj as main characters. The film marks the return of Sunny Deol to action ge ...
'' in 2013 and has also composed music for other films including: ''
Sooper Se Ooper'' and ''
Jal
JAL or Jal may refer to:
Entertainment
* Jal (band), a Pakistani pop/rock band
* ''Jal'' (film), a 2014 Hindi film
* Jal Fazer, a character in the British TV series ''Skins''
* "Jal", an episode of the British TV series ''Skins''
Places
* Jal, ...
'', in collaboration with percussionist
Bickram Ghosh
Bickram Ghosh is an Indian classical tabla player.
Early life
He started learning tabla from his father, Pandit Shankar Ghosh, who had played with Ali Akbar Khan.
Career
Ghosh has performed with Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Gho ...
in the same year.
He was ranked the Number 1 artist on the US Billboard Uncharted charts twice in September and October 2013.
He sang two songs for the movie
PK, "Bhagwan Hai Kahan Re Tu" and "Love is a Waste of Time", which was a duet with
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
. In 2014, Sonu also released a single called "Trini Ladki" in fusion with Chutney Music.
In 2015, "Sapna Jahan" from ''
Brothers
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' became popular. This was Sonu's 3rd collaboration with
Ajay–Atul
Ajay-Atul is an Indian music composer duo comprising brothers Ajay and Atul Gogavale. They won the Best Music Direction award at the 56th National Film Awards from the Government of India for their music in the Marathi film ''Jogwa'' in 2008. ...
. "Tere Bin" from ''
Wazir'', which he sung with
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
was also appreciated.
In September 2015, Nigam recorded a song with the music director
Khayyam
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, ...
for the project titled ''Gulam Bandhu''.
Sonu also collaborated with musicians across the globe for Imagine (UNICEF: World Version) composed by
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
.
In 2016, Sonu released his single "Crazy Dil" featuring
Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani (born 20 November 1962), also called Raju Hirani, is an Indian filmmaker, director, producer and editor known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards and eleve ...
,
Farah Khan
Farah Khan Kunder (born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed dance routines for more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, w ...
,
Sunil Grover
Sunil Grover (born 3 August 1977) is an Indian actor and comedian from Mumbai. He came into limelight for his portrayal as Gutthi on television show ''Comedy Nights with Kapil'' but gained popularity for playing the role of Dr Mashoor Gulati an ...
,
Kailash Kher
Kailash Kher (born 7 July 1973) is an Indian music composer and singer. He sings songs with a music style influenced by Indian folk music and Sufi music. He was inspired by the classical musicians' Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Hridaynath Ma ...
, Natalie Di Luccio, Sonu himself with his son Nevaan. He then released another single "First Date" sung by Sonu &
Jonita Gandhi
Jonita Gandhi is a Canadian playback singer of Indian descent. She has recorded songs predominantly in Hindi and Tamil languages with few in Punjabi, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada and Malayalam languages. Some of her most ac ...
.
He also collaborated with Transgender band "6 Pack Band" for song 'Sab Rab De Bande'. In Bollywood music, he sng 'Tu Hi Na Jaane' from ''
Azhar'' and "Dard" from ''
Sarabjit
Sarabjit or Sarbjit is a gender-neutral Punjabi language, Punjabi Indian and Pakistani given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Rai Sarabjit Singh (1853-1910), Indian ruler of a princely state
* Sarabjit Ladda (born 1982), Indian cricke ...
''. Tu Hi Na Jaane' was Sonu's first collaboration with music composer
Amaal Mallik
Amaal Mallik (born 16 June 1990) is an Indian music director, composer, singer, music producer, arranger, background scorer, performer and lyricist. He is the elder son of Daboo Malik and Jyothi Malik, and grandson of Sardar Malik. He debute ...
.
In 2017 Sonu made an international collaboration, this time with Indian-American DJ
kshmr
Niles Hollowell-Dhar (born October 6, 1988), known professionally as Kshmr (pronounced "Kashmir" and stylized in all caps), is an American songwriter, DJ, music producer, and musician. He was ranked 23rd on ''DJ Mag''s 2015 Top 100 DJs poll and ...
on song 'Underwater'. His independent song with
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
called 'Aye Jahaan Aasmaan' bagged him
9th Mirchi Music Awards
The 9th Mirchi Music Awards, presented by the Radio Mirchi, honoured the best of Hindi music from the year 2016. The ceremony was held on 18 February 2017 at the Dome @ National Sports Club of India, Mumbai and was hosted by Sonu Nigam. There wer ...
for Indie Pop Song of the Year. The song was composed by
Abhishek Ray
Abhishek Ray is an Indian film composer, playback singer, instrumentalist, music arranger, and producer working in Bollywood. He is known for having composed the music and done playback vocals for popular and award-winning Bollywood films such ...
. Cricketer
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the all time highest run-sco ...
collaborated with Sonu for his debut single "Sachin's Cricket Wali Beat"
'Hans Mat Pagli' & "Gori Tu Latth Maar" from ''
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha'' were well-received as was "Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahin" from ''
Meri Pyaari Bindu
''Meri Pyaari Bindu'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, written by Suprotim Sengupta and directed by Akshay Roy. It features Parineeti Chopra and Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead roles.
The principal photography of the fil ...
''. Sonu also sang one song in
Shah Rukh Khan starrer ''
Raees'' named "Halka Halka" but the song was not included in film because of creative reasons. Later the song was released on YouTube.
Sonu composed one song in movie
Half Widow called "Kuch Baaqi Hai" which was also sung by him. He also sang one song "Aazaadiyan" with
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Punjabi, ; born 9 December 1974) is a Pakistani Singer, primarily of Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ...
from ''
Begum Jaan'' composed by
Anu Malik
Anwar Sardar "Anu" Malik (born 2 November 1960) is an Indian music composer, singer, music arranger and score composer. He is an Indian National Award and Filmfare Award winning musician, who primarily composes music for the Hindi film indus ...
.
In 2018, Sonu collaborated with American Rapper
MC Yogi
Nicholas Christian Giacomini (born August 26, 1979), better known by his stage name MC Yogi, is an American rapper and yogi. His music style characteristically contains themes promoting Hindu philosophy and many of his songs are bhajans.
Persona ...
for song "Hall Of Fame". Sonu sang song "Aye Zindagi" composed by
Vishal Mishra having five other versions of
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur
and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in th ...
,
Alka Yagnik,
Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Ishwar Wadkar (born 7 August 1955) is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films. He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films, Odia albums and bhajans and in Konkani films.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Aka ...
,
Abhijeet Bhattacharya
Abhijeet Bhattacharya (born 30 October 1958), better known as Abhijeet, is a Bollywood playback singer. Abhijeet has sung 6034 songs in over 1000 films.
Personal life
Abhijeet was born to a Kanpur-based Bengali businessman turned editor Dhir ...
and
Shaan (singer)
Shantanu Mukherjee (born 30 September 1972), popularly known as Shaan, is an Indian playback singer, composer, live perfomer ,actor and television personality. He has recorded songs for films and albums in various Indian languages and has est ...
. Sonu also teamed up with
Meet Bros
Meet Bros is an Indian musical duo from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The duo consists of brothers Manmeet Singh and Harmeet Singh. They were formerly known as Meet Bros Anjjan with longtime collaborator Anjjan Bhattacharya.
Initially starting out ...
for dance number "Totta" feat. Sonu Nigam with
Kainaat Arora.
In Bollywood, he sang a peppy number in
Sanju
''Sanju'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language biographical film directed and edited by Rajkumar Hirani, written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and produced by Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra under the banners Rajkumar Hirani Films and Vinod Chopra Film ...
called "Main Badhiya Tu Bhi Badhiya" which became very popular. He then sang a melodious song "Kulfi" from ''
102 Not Out'' in collaboration with
Salim–Sulaiman
Salim–Sulaiman is an Indian score composer duo consisting of siblings Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant. The duo compose music predominantly for Hindi films.
Life and early career
Salim–Sulaiman's ancestral town is Mundra, Kutch, Gujara ...
. Sonu once again collaborated with
Anu Malik
Anwar Sardar "Anu" Malik (born 2 November 1960) is an Indian music composer, singer, music arranger and score composer. He is an Indian National Award and Filmfare Award winning musician, who primarily composes music for the Hindi film indus ...
for "Raat Kitni" and "Main Zinda Hoon" for movie ''
Paltan
Paltan is a thana (precinct) of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
It is often said to be the center of Dhaka, dividing "Old Dhaka" and "New Dhaka". Paltan was made a thana in 2005 by then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. Paltan Thana was formed ...
''.
He then sang the remake of "Badan Pe Sitare" originally sung by his idol Mohammad Rafi for
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi films, besides television and international films and television. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a producer, Kapo ...
starrer ''
Fanney Khan''. Sonu revealed that he was first hesitant to render the song because he didn't want to tamper with the original song but Kapoor requested Sonu to sing the classic as he was playing an ardent follower of Mohammad Rafi in the film, which was why he wanted Sonu to give his voice.
Sonu also sang songs for social causes. Song "Tik Tik Plastic" was sung with social message of 'Say No To Plastic'. He also collaborated with
Amruta Fadnavis
Amruta Fadnavis (née Ranade; born 9 April 1979) is an Indian banker, actor, singer and social activist. She is married to the 9th and current Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis. She holds the post of vice-president with Ax ...
for song "Mumbai River Anthem" to save Mumbai Rivers.
On 14 November 2021, Sonu travelled to
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
for his tour "Rafi Kishore aur Main" presented by Grace Entertainment. He rendered his own songs,as well as evergreen tracks that were originally sung by legendary singers
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar (born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly (); 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music.
He ...
and
Mohammad Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
. A source who was present at the show shared, "The audience were glued to their seats for the four-hour long performances. Sonu curated the show with some of the most talented and sought after musicians from across India and also included some musicians who have been a part of the original compositions."
Sonu also launched his NFT Series which features his English-language single ‘Hall of fame’ and pages from his personal diary where he has penned down key moments of his life and details of his practice and recording session along with lyrics of his popular songs. He became the first Indian singer to launch an NFT.
'I Believe Music' Label
Nigam has launched his own music label on 30 July 2020 named 'I Believe Music' and "Rudhrashtakam" is the first track to release under the label.
Work in Kannada
![Sonu Nigam122](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Sonu_Nigam122.jpg)
Nigam's first song in
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
was in 1996 for the film ''
Jeevanadhi''. The song "Yello Yaro Hego" was composed by
Koti with lyrics by
R. N. Jayagopal. Nigam has since sung over 600 Kannada songs.
His songs include "Cheluve Yeke Bande", from the film ''Majnu'', composed by
Gurukiran
Gurukiran or Gurukiran Shetty is an Indian music director of the Kannada film industry in India. He started his career as a music director of the Kannada movie '' A'', directed and acted by Upendra. His music for his next movie ''Upendra'' furt ...
; "Titanic Heroine Nee Nanna Cheluve", from the film ''
Snehaloka
''Snehaloka'' () is a 1999 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by S. Mahendar and produced by N. Bharathi Devi. The film has an ensemble cast comprising Ramesh Aravind, Ramkumar, Shashikumar, Vinod Raj and Anu Prabhakar in the ...
''; the title track from the film ''
Monalisa
The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known ...
'' composed by Valisha Sandeep; "Hamsave Hamsave" from the film ''Gatti Mela'', composed by
Hamsalekha
Gangaraju (born June 23, 1951), professionally known as Hamsalekha, is an Indian film composer and a songwriter who works in South Indian cinema, predominantly in the Kannada film industry since the late 1980s. He is also a screenplay writer, di ...
, "Kannale Kannale" from the film ''
Aham Premasmi
''Aham Premasmi'' is a 2005 Indian Kannada-language romance film directed by V. Ravichandran. The film stars his brother Balaji and Aarti Chhabria. Besides acting, V. Ravichandran has written, produced, edited and composed music for the film.
...
'', composed by
V. Ravichandran
Veeraswamy Ravichandran (born 30 May 1961), known mononymously as Ravichandran, is an actor, director, producer, music director, lyricist and editor in the Kannada Film Industry. He is the son of film producer N. Veeraswamy. As producer, Ravi ...
and "Baaninda Baa Chandira, from the movie ''Kanti'', composed by
Gurukiran
Gurukiran or Gurukiran Shetty is an Indian music director of the Kannada film industry in India. He started his career as a music director of the Kannada movie '' A'', directed and acted by Upendra. His music for his next movie ''Upendra'' furt ...
. The 2006 film ''
Mungaru Male
''Mungaru Male'' () is a 2006 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film co-written and directed by Yogaraj Bhat, and produced by E. Krishnappa. It stars Ganesh, Pooja Gandhi and Anant Nag. The film is believed to have shaped and strengthened t ...
'' created a sensation and spawned several records, mainly in Karnataka.
The songs "Mungaru Maleye" and "
Anisuthide" were composed by
Mano Murthy
Mano Murthy is an Indian musician and composer in the Kannada film industry. His is best known for his songs in '' Mungaru Male'', one of the biggest hits in the Kannada industry.
Before moving onto becoming a composer, he was an entrepreneur, ...
and written by
Yogaraj Bhat
Yogaraj Bhat (born 8 October 1972) is an Indian Kannada film-maker, director, screenwriter, lyricist and producer. He is most known for the 2006 film ''Mungaru Male''. The film recorded the highest box-office collections in the history of Kannad ...
and
Jayant Kaikini
Jayanth Kaikini (born 24 January 1955) is a poet, short story writer, playwright, columnist in Kannada and a lyricist in Kannada Cinema. He has so far published six anthologies of short stories, four books of poetry, three plays and a collecti ...
respectively. Nigam has said that he finds Kannada songs more fulfilling than the Hindi numbers. In an interview with ''
Deccan Herald
''Deccan Herald'' is an Indian English language daily newspaper published from the Indian state of Karnataka. It was founded by K. N. Guruswamy, a liquor businessman from Ballari and was launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Print ...
'' he said "Kannada songs make me feel positive". He went on to say: "I highly respect the musicians of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and many of my favourite songs are in Kannada. I consider
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
as my second birthplace. Even if someone requests me to sing a Kannada song while I'm performing in the West Indies, I will sing it for them".
![Sonu Nigam(1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Sonu_Nigam%281%29.jpg)
From the same ''Mungaru Male'' combination, composer Murthy, lyricist Kaikini and Nigam got together to record the Kannada album ''
Neene Bari Neene
''Neene Bari Neene'' is a studio album by singer Sonu Nigam. It was released in 2009, and was produced by Ashok Kheny, composed by Mano Murthy, and its lyrics were written by lyricist and writer Jayanth Kaikini.
Feature film
A film with the sa ...
'', produced by
Ashok Kheny
Ashok Shankarappa Kheny is an Indian film producer, actor, director, businessman, politician, and owner of Karnataka Bulldozers cricket team. He is a chairman of the Indian Institute of Cartoonists, and Managing Director of the Nandi Infrastru ...
. Videos for the songs "Neene Bari Neene" and "Baa Nodu Gelathi" were shot on the outskirts of Bangalore featuring Nigam and model
Madhuri Bhattacharya
Madhuri Bhattacharya is an Indian actress and former model who has appeared in Kannada and Bollywood films.
Early life
Born in Bangalore in a Bengali family, Bhattacharya studied at the Army Public School and later went to Mount Carmel Colle ...
in the lead. Nigam also composed a theme song for the
Karnataka Bulldozers team in the
Celebrity Cricket League
The Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) is an amateur men's cricket league in India. It consists of nine teams of film actors from nine major regional film industries of Indian cinema. The league commenced in 2011. Salman Khan is Brand Ambassador ...
and sang it with
Kunal Ganjawala and
Sowmya Raoh
Sowmya Raoh is an Indian playback singer who has performed in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu languages.
Early life and career
Sowmya was born in a Kannada speaking family to veteran singer B. K. Sumitra and Sudhakar in Bangalore, Karnatak ...
, who also penned the lyrics.
As a host and celebrity judge
Nigam was the host of the ''
Sa Re Ga Ma
Saregama India Ltd. (Saregama refers to the first four notes of the Indian musical scale); formerly known as The Gramophone Company Of India Ltd. is India's oldest music label owned by the RP- Sanjiv Goenka Group of companies. The company i ...
'' music show from 1995 until 1999 and became household name.
He returned on ''
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs International
''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs International'' is an Indian televised children's singing competition announced by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 host, Aditya Narayan, on 28 July 2007. The season began on 19 October 2007 with 28 contestants. The sh ...
'' as a judge with
Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Ishwar Wadkar (born 7 August 1955) is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films. He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films, Odia albums and bhajans and in Konkani films.
He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Aka ...
in October 2007. Nigam was a celebrity judge on the ''
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mega Challenge
''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mega Challenge'' was a special installment of the popular Indian ''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'' vocal contest shown on Zee TV. This show was a seven-week-long competition among eight teams representing eight different states and consisting o ...
'' grand finale on 12 December 2009.
Nigam hosted the TV show ''Kisme Kitna Hai Dum'' on
Star Plus
StarPlus is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. The network's programming consists of family dramas, comedies, ...
in 2002. He appeared as the judge on ''
Indian Idol
''Indian Idol'' is the Indian music competition television franchise based on the ''Pop Idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show w ...
'' in seasons 1 (October 2004 – March 2005) and 2 (November 2005 – April 2006), and was a celebrity judge in seasons 3 (17 August 2007) and 4 (16 January 2009 and 6 February 2009).
In 2006, Nigam hosted ''Life Ki Dhun with Sonu Nigaam'' on
Radiocity 91.1 FM, interviewing musicians.
He appeared as a celebrity judge on ''
STAR Voice of India'' in August 2007 (Season 1) and in December 2008 (Season 2), and on the grand finale of music reality show ''
Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star
''Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star''
is an Indian reality television series which aims to bring the winners of 'all' singing reality shows completed previously and the runners-up together competed for the 'Superstar' title under 'one roof'. The series' ...
'' on 12 July 2008.
Nigam was a judge/mentor on ''
Chhote Ustaad
Star Voice of India is an Indian television singing competition that premiered on 18 May 2007 and ended on 24 November 2007 on StarPlus. The show was directed by Gajendra Singh (producer), Gajendra Singh, creator of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa series, ...
– Do Deshon Ki Ek Awaaz'' (July – October 2010) with
Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan ( Punjabi, ; born 9 December 1974) is a Pakistani Singer, primarily of Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kh ...
, and was a judge/mentor on the first season of ''
X Factor (India)
''X Factor India'' is the Indian version of ''The X Factor'', a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring singers of all genres drawn from public auditions from all across India. The sho ...
'' (29 May – 2 September 2011) along with
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfar ...
and
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
.
On 23 August 2015, he appeared on "
The Anupam Kher Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
" sharing his life experiences. He has been also one of the three judges of Indian Idol 2016–17.
Sonu has also hosted
3rd Mirchi Music Awards,
6th Mirchi Music Awards
The 6th Mirchi Music Awards, presented by the Radio Mirchi, honoured the best of Hindi music from the year 2013. The ceremony was held on 27 February 2014 and was hosted by Sonu Nigam. There were many performances, including those by Sunidhi Chau ...
,
8th Mirchi Music Awards
The 8th Mirchi Music Awards, presented by the Radio Mirchi, honoured the best of Hindi music from the year 2015. The ceremony was held on 29 February 2016 at the Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai and was hosted by Sonu Nigam. There were many performances, ...
,
9th Mirchi Music Awards
The 9th Mirchi Music Awards, presented by the Radio Mirchi, honoured the best of Hindi music from the year 2016. The ceremony was held on 18 February 2017 at the Dome @ National Sports Club of India, Mumbai and was hosted by Sonu Nigam. There wer ...
,
10th Mirchi Music Awards,
11th Mirchi Music Awards, 13th Mirchi Music Awards
and 14th Mirchi Music awards
In 2021, Sonu Nigam appeared as one of the judges in the Bengali music reality show
Super Singer Season 3 on
Star Jalsha
Star Jalsha is an Indian Bengali language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It broadcasts Bengali-language programming, such as family dr ...
, along with
Kumar Sanu
Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), better known as Kumar Sanu, is an Indian playback singer. He is known as the King of Melody in Bollywood. He is famous for singing thousands of Bollywood Hindi songs. Apart from Hindi, he has al ...
and
Kaushiki Chakraborty
Kaushiki Chakraborty (born 24 October 1980) is an Indian classical vocalist and a composer She attended Sangeet Research Academy, and was one of the exponents of Patiala gharana. Her repertoire covers pure classical, ''Khyals, Dadras, Thumr ...
.
Singing style and influence
Sonu is one of the most popular playback singers in Bollywood,
and is widely considered to have inspired new singers in the Bollywood industry. He is often compared to
Mohammad Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
for similar voice texture.
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her con ...
said, "Among contemporary signers, I like Sonu Nigam best. He is serious about his music, has learnt classical and sings with confidence.".
Singer
Armaan Malik
Armaan Malik (born 22 July 1995) is an Indian singer, songwriter, record producer, voice-over, performer, dancer and actor. He is known for his singing in multiple languages, including Hindi, Telugu, English, Bengali, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, G ...
takes a lot of inspiration from him. Singer and musician
Ankit Tiwari
Ankit Tiwari is an Indian playback singer, live perfomer ,music director, composer. His career began upon meeting Pradeep Sarkar where he got a chance to work on jingles and started composing background music for television programmes. Subsequ ...
cites Sonu Nigam as one of his musical inspirations.
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
considers Sonu her favourite contemporary singer.
Palash Sen
Palash Sen is an Indian singer, songwriter, musician, composer and actor best known as the founder and frontman of India's Rock/Pop band Euphoria.
Early life and education
Born to doctors, he comes from a family of Rajvaidyas (Sen Sharma) and ...
of
Euphoria (Indian band)
Euphoria (Hindi: युफ़ोरिया) is an Indian pop rock band formed by Dr. Palash Sen in 1998 in Delhi, India. The name "Euphoria", is a term used in Psychiatry to describe a feeling one gets in the state of Mania, was decided ...
called Sonu Nigam the most talented singer in Bollywood.
S.P. Balasubrahmanyam also appreciated his singing.
Awards and honours
Sonu Nigam is the winner of several awards including India's fourth highest civilian award
Padma Shri
Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
, 1
National Award
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
, 2
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
in Hindi & 2
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
. He has received 17 nominations for Filmfare best playback singer, 10 nominations for Filmfare awards South and is a winner of record 4 times (9 nominations) for
IIFA Award
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...
for Best Male playback singer and received Oscar
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination in 2014 for soundtrack of
Jal
JAL or Jal may refer to:
Entertainment
* Jal (band), a Pakistani pop/rock band
* ''Jal'' (film), a 2014 Hindi film
* Jal Fazer, a character in the British TV series ''Skins''
* "Jal", an episode of the British TV series ''Skins''
Places
* Jal, ...
composed by Sonu Nigam and
Bickram Ghosh
Bickram Ghosh is an Indian classical tabla player.
Early life
He started learning tabla from his father, Pandit Shankar Ghosh, who had played with Ali Akbar Khan.
Career
Ghosh has performed with Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Gho ...
together. He was ranked the Number 1 artist on the US Billboard Uncharted charts twice in September and October 2013.
*1997 - Sansui Viewers' Choice Award for Best Male Singer for the song
Sandese Aate Hai
Sandese Aate Hai ( hi, संदेसे आते है, ) is a patriotic song from the 1997 movie ''Border'', directed by J. P. Dutta. It was written by Javed Akhtar, composed by Anu Malik and sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam. The ...
, from ''
Border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
''
*1998 -
Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer – Male
The Zee Cine Award Best Playback Singer - Male is chosen by the jury of Zee Entertainment Enterprises as part of its annual award ceremony for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer. Following its inception in 1998, no ceremony was hel ...
, for the song
Sandese Aate Hai
Sandese Aate Hai ( hi, संदेसे आते है, ) is a patriotic song from the 1997 movie ''Border'', directed by J. P. Dutta. It was written by Javed Akhtar, composed by Anu Malik and sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam. The ...
, from ''Border''
*1998 - 20th Aashirwad Awards for Sandese Aate Hai ''Border'' Best Duet Singers
*1998 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for
Sandese Aate Hai
Sandese Aate Hai ( hi, संदेसे आते है, ) is a patriotic song from the 1997 movie ''Border'', directed by J. P. Dutta. It was written by Javed Akhtar, composed by Anu Malik and sung by Roop Kumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam. The ...
from ''Border''
*1998 -
Screen Award
The Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony held in India honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced by t ...
for Best Male Pop Artist for ''Kismat''
*1999 - Screen award for Best pop album for "Deewana"
*2000 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for "Ishq Bina" from
''Taal''
*2001 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for
Panchi Nadiya Pawan Ke
"Panchi Nadiya Pawan Ke" is a 2000 Hindi song from the film '' Refugee''. The song is composed by Anu Malik with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It was sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik and picturised on Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor.
Awards ...
from ''
Refugee''
*2001 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for "Tu Fiza Hai" from
Fiza
''Fiza'', also known as ''Fiza: In Search Of Her Brother'', is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film written and directed by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor as the eponymous lead, along with Hrithik Roshan as her terrorist ...
''
Fiza
''Fiza'', also known as ''Fiza: In Search Of Her Brother'', is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film written and directed by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor as the eponymous lead, along with Hrithik Roshan as her terrorist ...
''
*2002 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for "Suraj Hua Maddham" from ''
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''
*2002 - Zee Cine Award Best Playback Singer- Male, for the song "Suraj Hua Maddham", from ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''
*2002 -
International Indian Film Academy Awards
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...
(IIFA) Best Male Playback Award, for the song "Suraj Hua Maddham", from ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''
*2002 -
Screen Award
The Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony held in India honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced by t ...
Best Male Playback, for the song "Tanhayee", from ''Dil Chahta Hai''
*2002 - Bollywood Music Award for Best Pop Singer for the album ''Yaad''
*2003 -
International Indian Film Academy Awards
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...
(IIFA) Best Male Playback Award, for the song "Saathiya", from ''Saathiya''
*2002 - Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer – Male, for the song "Suraj Hua Maddham", from ''
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness), also known by the initialism ''K3G'', is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language family-drama film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
''
*2003 -
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
, for the song "Saathiya", from the film ''
Saathiya''
*2003 -
MTV Immies for Best Singer – Male: ''Saathiya'' title track
*2003 -
Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer – Male
The Zee Cine Award Best Playback Singer - Male is chosen by the jury of Zee Entertainment Enterprises as part of its annual award ceremony for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer. Following its inception in 1998, no ceremony was hel ...
, for the song "Saathiya" from ''Saathiya''
*2004 -
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
, for the song "
Kal Ho Naa Ho
''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
", from ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''
*2004 -
Producers Guild Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Producers Guild Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (previously known as the Apsara Award for Best Male Playback Singer) is given by the producers of the film and television guild as part of its annual award ceremony to recognise the b ...
for "Kal Ho Na Ho" from ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''
*2004 -
National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The following is a list of winners of the National Film Award (Silver Lotus Award) for Best Male Playback singer. The award was first granted to Mahendra Kapoor in the year 1967. The singers whose performances have won awards have worked in nine ...
: ''
Kal Ho Naa Ho
''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
'' for "Kal Ho Naa Ho"
*2004 -
International Indian Film Academy Awards
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...
(IIFA) Best Male Playback Award, for the song "Kal Ho Naa Ho", from ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''
*2004 - Bollywood Music Award for Best Male Playback Singer for "Kal Ho Na Ho" from ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''
*2004 -
Producers Guild Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Producers Guild Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (previously known as the Apsara Award for Best Male Playback Singer) is given by the producers of the film and television guild as part of its annual award ceremony to recognise the b ...
for "Kal Ho Na Ho" from ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''
*2003 - Most Stylish People in Music, MTV Style Awards
*2004 -
MTV Immies Award for Best Singer Male (Film) (Main Hoon Na)
*2004 -
Anandalok Best Male Playback Award for his songs in Bengali movie
''Bandhan''
*2004 - Apsara Awards Best Male Playback Singer (
Kal Ho Naa Ho
''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
– ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'')
*2005 -
Screen Award
The Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony held in India honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced by t ...
Best Male Playback, for the song "Main Hoon Na", from ''
Main Hoon Na
''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, ...
''
*2005 -
Swaralaya Kairali Yesudas Award for his outstanding performance in Music.
*2005 -
MTV Immies Award for Best Pop Album ''Chanda Ki Doli''
*2005 -
Indian Television Academy Awards Best Singer for
Miilee
''Miilee'' is an Indian Hindi television series broadcast on STAR Plus. The series is an Indian version of the popular Argentine telenovela '' Muñeca brava(also known as Wild Angel).''
The series is set in the backdrop of Shimla.
Overview ...
*2005 - Lion Gold's Award for the song Main Hoon Na from the film
Main Hoon Na
''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, ...
*2005 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song "Tumse Milke Dil ka" from the film
Main Hoon Na
''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, ...
*2005 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song "Main Hoon Na" from the film
Main Hoon Na
''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, ...
*2005 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song "Do Pal" from
Veer-Zaara
''Veer-Zaara'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, who co-produced it with his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (K ...
*2005 - Teachers' Achievement Award
*2005 - Most Stylish People in Music, MTV Style Awards
*2006 - Star
Screen Award
The Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony held in India honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced by t ...
Best Male Playback, for the song "Dheere Jalna" from the film
Paheli
''Paheli'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film. It is a remake of the 1973 Hindi movie ''Duvidha'' by Mani Kaul based on the short story written by Vijayadan Detha in Rajasthani. It was also reported to have been partially inspired ...
*2006 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the songs "Dheere Jalna" from
Paheli
''Paheli'' () is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language fantasy film. It is a remake of the 1973 Hindi movie ''Duvidha'' by Mani Kaul based on the short story written by Vijayadan Detha in Rajasthani. It was also reported to have been partially inspired ...
and "Piyu Bole" from
Parineeta
*2006 - Annual Central European Bollywood Awards, Best Male Singer for Sau Dard Hai, from the film
Jaaneman
*2007 - Bollywood Music and Fashion Awards, Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" from
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''
*2007 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" from
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''
*2007 - Nominated:
International Indian Film Academy Awards
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...
(IIFA) Best Male Playback SInger for the song "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" from
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''
*2007 - Nominated:
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, Kannada for the song
Anisuthide from
Mungaru Male
''Mungaru Male'' () is a 2006 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film co-written and directed by Yogaraj Bhat, and produced by E. Krishnappa. It stars Ganesh, Pooja Gandhi and Anant Nag. The film is believed to have shaped and strengthened t ...
*2007 -
Indian Television Academy Awards Best Singer for
Dill Mill Gayye
''Dill Mill Gayye'' ( ''Hearts Have Met'') is an Indian medical drama television series that aired on Star One from 20 August 2007 to 29 October 2010. It was a sequel to the Star Plus series '' Sanjivani - A Medical Boon''. The series is availa ...
*2008 - Annual Central European Bollywood Awards, Best Male Playback Singer for "Main Agar Kahoon",
Om Shanti Om
''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies ...
*2008 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song "Main Agar Kahoon", from
Om Shanti Om
''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies ...
*2008 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, Kannada, Best Male Playback Singer for ''Ninnindale'' from
Milana.
*2008 -
Indian Television Academy Awards Best Singer for
Amber Dhara
''Amber Dhara'' is an Indian Hindi language television series that aired on Sony Entertainment Television from 24 September 2007 until 24 April 2008, based on the lives of conjoined twins, Amber and Dhara.
Plot
The story revolves around the l ...
*2009 - Annual Central European Bollywood Awards, Best Male Singer for "Inn Lamhon ke Daaman Mein", from the film
Jodhaa Akbar
''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...
*2009 - Lions Gold Award for the song "Inn lamhon ke Daaman mein" from the film
Jodhaa Akbar
''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...
*2009 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song 'Inn Lamhon ke Daaman mein' from the film
Jodhaa Akbar
''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...
*2009 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, Kannada, Best Male Playback Singer for ''Yenagali'' from
Mussanje Maathu.
*2009 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, Kannada, Nominated for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Mayavagide Manasu" from
Haage Summane
*2010 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, Kannada, Nominated for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Hrudayave" from
Krishnan Love Story
''Krishnan Love Story'' ( kn, ಕೃಷ್ಣನ್ ಲವ್ ಸ್ಟೋರಿ) is a 2010 Indian Kannada language action drama film written and directed by Shashank, and starring Ajay Rao, Radhika Pandit in leading roles and Umashri, Achyut ...
*2010 -
BIG Star Entertainment Awards Best Playback Singer of the Decade (2000–2010) (MALE)
*2010 - Annual Central European Bollywood Awards Best Male Singer for "Shukran Allah", from the film
Kurbaan
*2010 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
along with Salim Merchant of the composer duo
Salim-Sulaiman for the song "Shukran Allah" from the film
Kurbaan
*2010 -
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
(GIMA) for Best Live Performer (Male)
*2010 -
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
(GIMA) for Most Popular Radio Song of the Year for "All Izz Well" from
3 Idiots
*2012 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, Kannada, Nominated for Best Male Playback Singer for the songs "Paravasha Naadenu" from
Paramathma and "Neerinalli Sanna Ale" from
Hudugaru
''Hudugaru'' ( Boys) is a 2011 Kannada-language drama film directed by K. Madesh, starring Puneeth Rajkumar, Srinagar Kitty, Yogesh and Radhika Pandit in the lead roles. The film, which is a remake of the successful 2010 Tamil film ''Naadodigal' ...
* 2012–2013 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
– Nominated – Best Playback Singer Male for the song "Chendutiya Pakkadali" from the movie ''
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
''.
*2013 -
Mirchi Music Award for Male Vocalist of The Year
The Mirchi Music Award for Male Vocalist of The Year is given yearly by Radio Mirchi as a part of its annual Mirchi Music Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male vocalist who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song.
Superlative ...
for the song Abhi Mujhme Kahin from the film Agneepath
*2013 -
Mirchi Music Award for Song of The Year The Mirchi Music Award for Song of The Year is given yearly by Radio Mirchi as a part of its annual Mirchi Music Awards for Hindi films, to recognise the best song of that year.
List of winners
* 2008 "Jashn-E-Bahara" - ''Jodhaa Akbar''
** "Behka" ...
for the song Abhi Mujhme Kahin from the film Agneepath
*2013 -
BIG Star Entertainment Awards for Best Playback Singer Male (Abhi Mujh Mai Kahin),
Agneepath
*2012 -
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
(GIMA) for "This is It" with
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackso ...
*2013 - Zee Cinema Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Abhi Mujhme Kahin from the film Agneepath.
*2013 -
14th IIFA Awards Best Male Playback Singer for "Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" – Agneepath
*2013 - MTV Video Music Awards India for Best Playback Singer Male , Abhi Mujh Mai Kahin
*2013 - Nominated:
Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Male Playback Singer Award is given by Indian film magazine ''Filmfare'' as a part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song. ...
for the song
Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin
"Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" () is a song from the film '' Agneepath'', sung by Sonu Nigam, with music by Ajay–Atul and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and was picturized on Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra. This song describes many feelings in a s ...
from the film
Agneepath
*2013 -
Times of India Film Awards
The Times of India Film Awards (also known as TOIFA Awards) are presented by ''The Times of India'' to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The awards were first introduced ...
Best Playback Singer Male , Abhi Mujh Mai Kahin
Agneepath
*2014 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
– Nominated – Best Playback Singer Male for the song "Baanalli Baadalago" from
Simple Agi Ondh Love Story
* 2014 - Mirchi Music Awards South – Best Male Vocalist Kannada
*2015 - Bharat Ratna Ambedkar Award
*2015 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
– Nominated – Best Playback Singer Male for the song "Ringagide Nan Yede" from
Fair & Lovely
*2016 -
Jagran Film Festival Award for Best Playback Singer Male Award for 'Dard' from
Sarbjit
Sarabjit or Sarbjit is a gender-neutral Punjabi Indian and Pakistani given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Rai Sarabjit Singh (1853-1910), Indian ruler of a princely state
* Sarabjit Ladda (born 1982), Indian cricketer
* Sarabjit Si ...
*2016 -
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
(GIMA) Best Pop Song: “Saiyaan Bina” by Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh
*2016 - Nominated:
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
(GIMA) GIMA Award for Best Duet with
Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awards ...
*2016 -
Global Indian Music Academy Awards
The Global Indian Music Academy Awards (also known as the GiMA Awards) are presented annually by Global Indian Music Academy to honour and recognise Indian music. The nominees are voted by GiMA's jury, who have some of the most respected artis ...
(GIMA) for Best Devotional Album 'Krishna Sudha Ras ‑ ISKCON 50th Anniversary'
*2017 -
9th Mirchi Music Awards
The 9th Mirchi Music Awards, presented by the Radio Mirchi, honoured the best of Hindi music from the year 2016. The ceremony was held on 18 February 2017 at the Dome @ National Sports Club of India, Mumbai and was hosted by Sonu Nigam. There wer ...
Indie Pop Song of the Year "Aye Jahaan Aasmaan" sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal
*2017 - Haryana Gaurav Samman by Haryana Government, Government of India
*2018 -
Doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
from
Teerthanker Mahaveer University
Teerthanker Mahaveer University also known as TMU is a private university in Moradabad (Brass City), Uttar Pradesh, India. Established in 2008 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh Act No.30 and approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) ...
, Moradabad in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of music.
*2018 -
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
– Nominated – Best Playback Singer Male for the song "Roopasi Summane" from
Mugulu Nage
''Mugulu Nage'' is a 2017 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film directed and co-produced by Yogaraj Bhat, and jointly produced by Ganesh and Syed Salaam. Ganesh also features in the lead role alongside Apoorva Arora, Nikitha Narayan and A ...
*2018 - Lokmat Most Stylish Awards 2018
*2018 - Iconic Achievers Awards 2018
*2019 - 21st Century Icon Award for Magnificent Performing Arts Award
*2020 - Bharat Ratna Dr.B R Ambedkar Award by
Government of Maharashtra
The Government of Maharashtra is the state governing authority for the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a democratically elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the Vidhan Sabha for a five-year term.
Maharashtra has a Maharashtra Legisla ...
*2021 - Mirchi Music Award for Male Vocalist of the Decade for the song
Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin
"Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin" () is a song from the film '' Agneepath'', sung by Sonu Nigam, with music by Ajay–Atul and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and was picturized on Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra. This song describes many feelings in a s ...
(Agneepath)
*2021 - 2021 Lokmat Sur-Jyotsna Award for his contribution to Indian music
*2021 -
Champions of Change (award) 2020
*2022 -
Padma Shri
Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
*2022 -
Mirchi Music Awards
''Mirchi Music Awards'' are presented annually by ''Radio Mirchi'' to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film music industry of India. The awards, given in seventeen different categories, were in ...
for "Raag-Inspired Song of the Year" for the song "Bheeni Bheeni Si" from
Mera Fauji Calling
*2022 -
Indian Television Academy Awards 2022 for The Performer of the Millenium
Discography
As a music director
Filmography
Dubbing work
Television
Controversies
His series of tweets branding 'Azaan' (Muslim call for prayer), temple, gurudwara, and other religious places using loudspeakers to disturb the people who don't follow the religion as "forced religiousness" landed him in a controversy as a member of a religious group (in particular against Azaan) took offence at the matter and the manner in which he voiced his concern. In his later tweet he stated that he stands by his statement. He later clarified that he is not against any specific religious ritual, but against the use of loudspeakers on religious buildings. He said that the use of loudspeaker to create noise pollution should be stopped beyond certain time as per the law of the land, irrespective of whether it is from a temple, mosque, gurudwara, or any other place. Later, Sonu again sparked controversy, when he posted a video of Azaan from his home which proved that he was indeed disturbed very early in the morning. Syed Sha Atef Ali Al Quaderi, vice-president of West Bengal United Minority Council announced a reward of ₹10 Lakh to anyone who shaved Nigam's head, to which Sonu Nigam responded by shaving his own head to claim the reward. He deactivated his Twitter account in 2017 citing lack of freedom of speech, and said that sensible discussions were not possible due to the polarised atmosphere.
In June 2020, after the demise of actor
Sushant Singh Rajput
Sushant Singh Rajput (21 January 1986 – 14 June 2020) was an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He starred in a number of commercially successful Hindi films such as '' M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story'' (2016), ''Kedarnath'' (201 ...
, Sonu Nigam posted a video saying that the music industry is also monopolized by two major companies and that he had also faced similar discrimination. He urged these music companies to be fair and kind to the newcomers in the music industry. Although he stopped short of naming anyone he made it clear that the malpractices in Bollywood are terrible and are almost killing the music talent of the country. Sonu Nigam maintained that he didn't name anyone and was only putting up his point of view regarding the malpractices in the music industry of Bollywood. In his second video Nigam names
Bhushan Kumar
Bhushan Kumar Dua (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian film producer and music producer. He is the chairman and managing director of Super Cassettes Industries Limited, also known as T-Series. He is known for his work in Bollywood.
Career
K ...
, CEO of
T-Series and tells him to stay away from him.
In February 2022, he was accused of working with Rocky and Mr Rehan Siddiqui, who are blacklisted based on recommendations of the Consulate General of India for malpractices and supporting Pakistan-based terror groups. When Rajender Singh Pahl a show promoter from USA had contacted him for performing at a concert, he recommended him to contact Rehan Siddiqui.
See also
*
List of Indian playback singers
This is a list of playback hindi singers from India.
Female playback singers
Male playback singers
See also
* Lists of Indian people
* Lists of musicians
* Bollywood content lists
This is a list of content of Hindi cinema.
{{dynamic ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nigam, Sonu
Living people
Indian male playback singers
Bollywood playback singers
Assamese playback singers
Bengali playback singers
Kannada playback singers
Marathi playback singers
Nepali-language singers from India
Odia playback singers
Punjabi-language singers
Tamil playback singers
Telugu playback singers
Indian film score composers
Indian male pop singers
Indian television presenters
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Indian male child actors
Indian male voice actors
Performers of Hindu music
People from Faridabad
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa participants
Filmfare Awards winners
Filmfare Awards South winners
Screen Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards winners
1973 births
Singers from Haryana
Indian Hindus
Indian folk-pop singers
Pop rock singers
Best Male Playback Singer National Film Award winners
International Indian Film Academy Awards winners
Indian male film score composers
Actors from Mumbai