Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram
S

wati Puraskaram is the highest honour bestowed by the Kerala government for overall contribution to music. It is named after Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore who governed the Travancore Kingdom from 1813 to 1846.

Shemmangudi Srinivasayer, a classical musician, received the first Swathi award in 1997.

The first Malayali to receive Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram was violinist K. V. Narayanaswamy in 2000, while the first woman was carnatic musician and playback vocalist Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal in 1999.

The award includes a monetary reward of ₹2 lakh, a citation and a statuette.


List of Recipients


S.NoYearNameSpecialization
1.1997Semmangudi Srinivasa IyerCarnatic music
2.1998Ustad Bismillah KhanShehnai
3.1999D. K. PattammalCarnatic music, Playback Singer
4.2000K. V. NarayanaswamyViolinist
5.2002T. N. Krishnan Violinist
6.2003Bhimsen JoshiHindustani classical music
7.2004Sankaran EmbranthiriKathakali music
8.2006Mavelikkara Prabhakara VarmaCarnatic music
9.2007Neyyattinkara VasudevanCarnatic music
102008JasrajHindustani Classical music
11.2009R. K. SrikantanCarnatic music
12.2010K. J. YesudasPlayback singer, Varnatic music
13.2012M. BalamuralikrishnaCarnatic music
14.2013V. DakshinamoorthyCarnatic music, Music director
15.2014Amjad Ali KhanSarod
16.2015Trichur V. RamachandranCarnatic music
17.2016Mangad K. NatesanCarnatic music
18.2017L. SubramaniamCarnatic music, Violinist
19.2018Pala C. K. RamachandranCarnatic music
20.2019T. M. KrishnaCarnatic music
21.2020Dr. K. OmanakuttyCarnatic music
22.2021P.R. Kumara Kerala VarmaCarnatic music

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