Soumik Datta has been honoured with the prestigious ACTAs 2025 Award for Music (Traditional) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to traditional music, particularly for his innovative mastery of the sarod. Celebrated for bridging cultures and art forms, Soumik’s work not only preserves classical traditions but also reimagines them in contemporary contexts, addressing urgent global issues through his music.
A winner of the renowned Aga Khan Award for Music, Soumik Datta is widely regarded as a visionary sarod virtuoso, bandleader, TV presenter, and Artistic Director of the Soumik Datta Arts charity. A dedicated student of sarod maestro Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta, Soumik has extended the instrument’s reach by collaborating with a diverse range of artists from global music traditions, including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Nitin Sawhney, Akram Khan, Anoushka Shankar, and Arijit Singh. His unique ability to blend traditional and modern sounds has earned him recognition as “one of the biggest music talents in Britain,” a title Vogue bestowed upon him.
Beyond performance, Soumik has been deeply involved in projects with strong social and environmental messages. In 2022, he composed ‘Awaaz’ (meaning ‘voice’ in Urdu) for BBC Singers, commemorating 75 years of Indian independence with a new score for choir and sarod. His commitment to climate action is exemplified by his direction and composition of ‘Songs of the Earth,’ an award-winning animation about a young climate refugee from Bengal, which premiered at COP26 and No.10 Downing Street.
Soumik’s influence extends to television, where he hosted BBC 4’s 'Rhythms of India,' exploring the classical, folk, and contemporary sounds of India. Together with his brother, filmmaker Souvid Datta, he co-directed 'Tuning 2 You,' a Channel 4 series highlighting under-represented musicians in rural India. His production ‘Hope Notes,’ which combined refugee stories with sarod, strings, and electronica, was critically acclaimed for raising awareness of displacement and refugee mental health.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Soumik launched 'Silent Spaces,' a digital series filmed inside iconic cultural venues such as the British Museum and Royal Albert Hall—spaces closed to the public at the time. This initiative not only brought art to audiences but also provided vital work for over 100 out-of-work musicians, dancers, and technicians through his charity. Soumik Datta’s career is a remarkable journey of tradition, innovation, and social consciousness, making him a deserving recipient of the ACTAs Award for Music (Traditional) 2025.
