Taurees Habib made history in February as the second Pakistani to ever receive a Grammy and the first to do so in the field of sound engineering.
Though the award was announced earlier this year, Habib, who hails from Karachi, chose to keep the news private until the golden gramophone finally arrived at his residence. He unveiled the accolade on his social media on Tuesday, sharing both his excitement and the weight of the milestone.
“I’m so incredibly honoured to have received this for my work on Dune: Part Two, and to be the first Pakistani to receive this for engineering and only the second Pakistani ever to win a Grammy,” Habib wrote in a Facebook post.
“It’s crazy to walk into my living room and see this thing just sitting there. I’m so lucky to have gotten to go along for the ride with all the people on our team who put their blood, sweat, and tears into bringing @hanszimmer’s vision to life.”
The award was for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television), given for his work on Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for Dune: Part Two. The trophy bears the engraving: “Taurees Habib, Engineer. Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media — 2024, Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer).”
Habib also posted a video over the weekend on Instagram, documenting the moment he unboxed the trophy. “So something happened this February, and I haven’t really talked about it. It felt like one of those things that’d be better to show than tell about,” he said, before pulling out the award from its packaging. Placing it on the table, he simply pointed to it.
With this feat, Habib joins singer Arooj Aftab as one of only two Pakistanis to have ever received a Grammy.
Zimmer’s Dune: Part Two score beat the odds in February to win the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. The victory came after the Oscars declared the score ineligible because it contained too much music carried over from Dune: Part One.
The award marked the fifth Grammy for Zimmer, who previously won for scoring The Dark Knight, Crimson Tide, The Lion King, and the song ‘Circle of Life’ from the latter.
For Pakistan’s music and film industry, Habib’s win is another proud reminder of local talent leaving an indelible mark on the global stage.