Diljit Dosanjh

Hailing from Dosanjh Kalan, Jalandhar, Punjab, singer-songwriter and actor Diljit Dosanjh has solidified himself as one of the defining voices of 21st-century Punjabi music. With a rich discography that runs the gamut from bouncy hall-party classics (“Alrhaan Kuaariaan”) to bold, bravado-infused tracks (“Clash”) to upbeat pop love songs (“Lover”), Dosanjh has helped bring the sound to the global stage. He broke through in 2004 with his debut album Ishq Da Uda Ada and has steadily grown to an unprecedented level of stardom, emerging as one of the top actors in Punjabi film, striking out in Bollywood with the 2016 crime drama Udta Punjab and selling out arenas around the world for his 2022 Born to Shine tour. The following year, he became the first artist to perform at Coachella entirely in Punjabi—an electric set with more than 20 performers onstage. He punctuated Punjabi music’s arrival on the global stage with his most innovative album to date, 2023’s Ghost. Despite being told throughout his career that he would face barriers as a turban-wearing Punjabi Sikh man, Dosanjh continues to break every ceiling, all while challenging stereotypes and innovating on diasporic Punjabi culture.