His daughters, sitarist Anoushka and singer Nora Jones, accepted the honour, 60 days after his death.

Norah, 33, said: "We know he was very excited to be receiving this award. We really miss him. He lived and breathed music. We are very happy to accept the award for him." 

“He did his last performance just a few weeks before he died and I believe she was the reason he was able to be as healthy and strong as he was. I am eternally grateful to her for that,” Anoushka also thanked their mother and his wife Sukanya. 

"My father always said that music could create world peace because it had the potential to raise the consciousness of people... When I watched him play what moved me was this incredible meditative state where he could take people," the 31-old musician continued.

Shankar, who once forgot that he had won two Grammys, influenced famous musicians like The Beatles, The Byrds and numerous other rock artists by introducing India's classic music to the western world.

Together with George Harrison, he organised the charity event Concert for Bangladesh in 1971.

By Maximilian Flaig