1. Rina Sawayama
Japanese-British musician, Rina Sawayama has been the talk of town since the release of her self-titled debut album in 2020 for its innovative fusion of electropop, R&B and nu-metal genres, which is why her ineligibility to qualify for the Mercury Prize caused much uproar. Told that she was "not British enough" despite living in the U.K. since she was four years old, Sawayama began a worldwide social media campaign to change the outdated rules of the music awards industry.
With the support of her fans, including Elton John who declared Sawayama his favourite album of 2020, the rules of the Brit Awards were recently changed to qualify artists who have been resident in the UK for more than five years. Igniting an important conversation on British culture and the increasingly globalised world, Sawayama's music is groundbreaking in more ways than one.
Related: Rising Malaysian Musician NYK Talks Challenges During The Pandemic & His New EP
2. Priya Darshini
Nominated for Best New Age Album at the upcoming 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, Priya Darshini's debut album with Chesky Records, Periphery, is a musical exploration on the concept of belonging. A departure from her background in Bollywood films and classical Hindustani and pop music, her enchanting single, Home, gives voice to the feeling of not belonging that many immigrants and third-culture kids often feel.
The Chennai-born, Mumbai-raised musician joins the short list of Indian names nominated for the Grammy Awards: Anoushka Shankar for Best Global Music Album and Norah Jones for Best American Roots Music.
See also: Meet 9 Amazing Asian Women Who Gained International Renown As Pioneers