Sonu Nigam Slams IIFA After Being Snubbed From Nominations

Photo: Instagram

MUMBAI (ANI) – Playback singer Sonu Nigam has voiced his disappointment after being excluded from the nominations at the IIFA Awards 2025. Despite his song Mere Dholna 3.0 from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 becoming one of the year’s biggest hits, the event, held in Jaipur, did not include him in its list of nominees.

This year’s nominees for Best Playback Singer featured Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla, Diljit Dosanjh, Baadshah, Jubin Nautiyal, and Mitraz, with Nautiyal ultimately taking home the award.

On March 12, Nigam took to Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the nominee list with a sarcastic caption: “Thank you, IIFA… After all, you were answerable to the Rajasthan bureaucracy.” He also played Mere Dholna 3.0 in the background, subtly suggesting that the song deserved at least a nomination.

Fans and industry colleagues quickly rallied behind him. Composer Amaal Malik commented, “Such is the world that we live in… Mazaak banake rakh diya hai (They have made it a joke).” A fan wrote, “You are incomparable, @sonunigamofficial ji. For us, you are the music,” while another added, “Sonu Nigam himself is an award. They don’t have the ability to measure the depth of your voice.”

Nigam, one of India’s most celebrated playback singers, has won multiple accolades and performed in numerous languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil. He began his career with Hum To Chhaila Ban Gaye from the TV serial Talash.