Nitin Sawhney

Dr. Nitin Sawhney CBE, born in 1964 in London to Indian parents, is an Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award recipient whose remarkable career blends innovation and versatility. Born in South London’s vibrant cultural landscape, he excelled early as a classical and jazz pianist, flamenco guitarist and later studied sitar and tabla. Abandoning Law at university for music in the 80’s, he has since created over 70 film and TV scores, 13 acclaimed solo albums and earned numerous awards as well as nine honorary doctorates and a CBE, establishing him as a globally recognised musical luminary.

His 1999 album ’Beyond Skin’, making him a year 2000 Mercury Prize nominee, fused Indian classical, jazz, and electronica, winning a South Bank Show Award for its bold exploration of identity. Albums like ‘Prophesy’ (2001) and ‘Philtre’ (2005) secured MOBO and BBC Radio 3 Awards, showcasing his boundary-defying vision. His film scores, including ‘The Namesake’, ‘Midnight’s Children’, and ‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’, are masterful, with a 2025 BAFTA-nominated score for Disney’s ‘Tiger’ (2024) after his BAFTA winning ‘Human Planet’ tv score, Royal Television society award for ‘Wonders of the Monsoon’ and Ivor nominated scores for tv mini-series, ‘Second Generation’ and his first video-game soundtrack, ‘Heavenly Sword’. He has written for and conducted the London Symphony Orchestra for the BFI restorations of ‘A Throw of Dice’ and Hitchcock’s ‘The Lodger’, scored Olivier award winning plays and contemporary choreography, is currently working on a major  Audible Books project and is set to enhance his legacy with a watershed forthcoming score for a multi-billion dollar film franchise, also yet to be announced. 

Sawhney’s collaborations are stellar, from co-writing with Paul McCartney to producing Anoushka Shankar’s Grammy-nominated ‘Traces of You’ album. He joined Pink Floyd for their 2022 charity single and has worked with Sting, Jeff Beck, and Annie Lennox, while producing tracks for Rod Stewart and Jools Holland’s UK chart-topping ‘Swing Fever’ (2024). As a performer, he has captivated audiences at the Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House, and Glastonbury, conducted international orchestras, and DJed extensively, most notably as a regular at London’s Fabric nightclub.

Sawhney declined an OBE in 2007 on ethical grounds, later accepting a CBE in honour of his late father’s memory in 2019. As former PRS Foundation Chair and its current inaugural Patron, former Royal Albert Hall Ambassador and Sadler’s Wells Associate, he nurtures emerging talent, with involvement in and leadership of young musicians’ charities like ‘Future Talent’, ‘The Abram Wilson Foundation’ and with further patronage of educational charities Access-to-Music and Artis reflecting his cultural commitment. Lectures at Stanford, Valencia’s Berklee, and a forthcoming Oxford University Fellowship highlight his academic influence, following his impressive inclusion as a Booker Prize judge in 2024 and his current inclusion in 2025 Asians Power 100 as one of the UK’s most influential British Asians.

Sawhney’s music, spanning solo albums and diverse scores across multiple platforms, weaves global traditions with striking authenticity. His career, bridging orchestral stages, vibrant clubs, and dedicated advocacy for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, marks him as a towering figure in music, his enduring legacy a testament to creativity and humanity.

At Chelsea Arts Festival Nitin Sawhney will be joining Anna Smith to talk about the connections between music and film.