Raja Kumari becomes first Indian American to win American Music Award

Singer-songwriter and rapper Raja Kumari has made history by becoming the first Indian American  to win an American Music Award (AMA) for Favorite Soundtrack for Arcane League of Legends: Season 2.

“Honestly, I’ve felt like an underdog in a lot of situations and all eyes on the underdog which is a lyric from City Slums,” she told the Hindustan Times after winning the award at the 51st AMA held in Los Angeles on May 26. “I’ve always had to believe in myself, and this win just confirms that belief and encourages me further. I’m so excited to bring this home for India.”

“I put a lot of Indian flavor into the song. I included a ‘thal’ and really showcased my culture. So, for this to win, it just means that the times are changing and that people genuinely love our music. I can’t wait to show the world what I have planned next.”

Asked if she saw the win coming, Raja Kumari told the Times, “I felt it. Honestly, I felt like God told me it was mine. That might sound crazy, but I truly believed I could achieve it. To succeed, I think you first have to visualise yourself winning. I really wanted to see it.”

“We worked so hard on the song, and it was incredible to see it reach the Top 10 on the Spotify Viral 50 chart. Having it become a part of so many people’s lives — through reels, all the stories and more — I had a good feeling that it had a great chance,” she added.

Her India connection made the win “very special, because I feel like a whole new demographic got to hear my voice and their reactions have been so rewarding and fun. I’m just happy to have this opportunity and to represent India on such a big stage,” she said.

Born Svetha Yallapragada Rao in Claremont, California, Raja Kumari was raised in a Telugu family originally from Andhra Pradesh. Kumari, 39, has steadily built a career blending hip-hop with Indian classical influences. She began performing as an Indian classical dancer at age five, trained by her parents who were deeply involved in preserving their cultural heritage.

“I found it tough and lonely as a South Indian girl growing up in Los Angeles,” she told Rolling Stone in an interview. That sense of cultural dislocation would later shape the hybrid style of her music and lyrics.

Professionally known for her collaborations with international stars like Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Fifth Harmony, Sidhu Moosewala, Knife Party, and Fall Out Boy, Kumari also won a BMI Pop Award in 2016 for her songwriting.