A R Rahman honoured with Tamil Ratna Award

Noted music composer A.R. Rahman on 15 August 2016 was honoured with the Tamil Ratna Award. The award was presented by New York based Tamil Sangam. Rahman was bestowed with the honour after his concert at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) chamber. Rahman was invited at the UNGA to perform a concert to honour M.S. Subbulakshi, the doyen of Carnatic music. The concert was sponsored by

India's UN Mission and Sankara Nethralaya, a Chennai-based charity organisation. The previous recipients of Tamil Ratna Award include Tamil movie director Bharathi Raja, Bharatha Natyam exponent Kamala Lakshman and Srinivasa Varadhan, the winner of the Abel Prize for mathematics.

About A.R. Rahman

• A.R. Rahman's works are noted for integrating Eastern classical music with electronic music, world music and traditional orchestral arrangements.

• His body of work for film and stage has earned him the nickname of the Mozart of Madras.

• In 2009, Time included him on its list of the world's most influential people.

• The UK-based world-music magazine Songlines named him one of Tomorrow's World Music Icons in August 2011.

• In 2009, he won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song, the latter shared with Gulzar) at the 81st Academy Awards.

• He has also won two Grammy Awards: Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

• His work in 127 Hours won him Golden Globe, BAFTA, and two Academy Award nominations (Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song) in 2011.