He received many national and international awards, including the one from the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, for his contributions to Kashmiri music and art.
[2] Sheikh was killed by the Punjab Police when he was travelling on a train with his daughter and a Kashmiri Pandit friend on the night of 13 July 2003.
[3] The Punjab police cremated his body within hours of his death to destroy evidence.
[4] Sheikh's death caused an outpouring of grief in Kashmir and India.
An annual prize established in his memory is awarded to young musicians of Kashmir.