The title of Sangita Kalanidhi is awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic musician. It is among the highest honors a Carnatic musician can receive. However, like the Nobel Prize, there are many who deserved it and never got it, though the reverse may not be true. It is also not the only award that musicians can receive - honors like Padmabhushan, Nada Brahmam (Narada Gana Sabha), Isai Peroli (Kartik Fine Arts), Sangita Kala Shikhamani (Indian Fine Arts), Sangita Kala Nipuna (Mylapore Fine Arts), Sangita Kala Sarathy (Parthasarathy Swami Sabha), Isai Perarignar (Tamil Isai Sangam), Sangita Kala Rathna (RR Sabha), Sangeetha Jothi (Kapali Fine Arts)

Before 1942, there was no Sangitha Kalanidhi - only president of the annual conference at the Music Academy in Madras (those are listed below). There were 3 presidents the first year, and T.S. Sabesa Iyer became president again in 1934. In 1930, there were two presidents. Technically, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavatar received the award for the first time in 1942 but the Academy decided all the previous presidents would also be considered awardees from then on (3 of the previous presidents were already deceased). The award is given by election, though earlier it was an electoral college.

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer asked the Academy to give it to his Guru, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, before he did. Alathur Subbu Iyer made the Academy promise his partner Seenu Iyer would receive the award the next year. As for instruments, many violinists but only a few mridangam artists, a few nadaswaram artists, a few vainikas, and a few flautists have received the award, and no ghatam, morsing, or kanjira artists have. ML Vasantakumari is the youngest woman to get the award at 49.

We will add each year's recipient as time goes by! Send us your comments.

1929 T. V. Subba Rao, T. S. Sabesha Iyer and M. S. Ramaswamy Iyer
1930 Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar and T. V. Subba Rao
1931 Pazhamaneri Swaminatha Iyer
1932 Tiger Varadachariar
1933 K. Ponnayya Pillai
1934 T. S. Sabesha Iyer
1935 Mysore K. Vasudevacharya
1936 Umayalapuram Swaminatha Iyer
1937 Chidambara Bhagavatar
1938 Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar
1939 Musiri Subramania Iyer
1940 Kallidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavatar
1941 Professor Venkataswami Naidu
1942 Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavatar
1943 Palladam Sanjiva Rao - flute
1944 T. L. Venkatarama Iyer
1945 Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer
1946 no award - birth centenary of Tyagaraja
1947 Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
1948 Rajamanickam Pillai
1949 Mudicondan Venkatrama Iyer
1950 Karur Chinnaswamy Iyer
1951 Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavatar
1952 Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer
1953 Tirupampuram N. Swaminatha Pillai - flute
1954 Chittur Subramanya Pillai
1955 Marungapuri Gopalakrishna Iyer
1956 Tiruvizhimizhalai Subramanya Pillai - nadaswaram
1957 T. Chowdiah
1958 G. N. Balasubramaniam - vocal
1959 Madurai Mani Iyer - vocal
1960 T. K. Jayarama Iyer - violin
1961 Tiruvidamarudur Veerusami Pillai - nadaswaram
1962 K. Papa Venkataramiah
1963 Budulur Krishnamurthi Sastrigal
1964 Alathur Sivasubramanya Iyer
1965 Alathur srinivasa Iyer
1966 T. S. (Palghat) Mani Iyer - mridangam
1967 no award
1968 M. S. Subbulakshmi - vocal
1969 Madurai Srirangam Iyer
1970 D. K. Pattammal - vocal
1971 Papanasam Sivan (age 81) - composer
1972 Professor P. Sambamoorthy - musicologist
1973 T. Balasaraswati - bharatanatyam
1974 R. Anantakrishna Sarma (age 81)
1975 no award - bi-centenary of Dikshitar
1976 T. Brinda - vocal
1977 M. L. Vasanthakumari - vocal
1978 M. Balamurali Krishna - vocal
1979 K. S. Narayanaswamy - veena
1980 T. N. Krishnan
1981 T. M. Thiyagarajan
1982 Embar S. Vijayaraghavachariar
1983 Dr. S. Pinakapani
1984 Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar
1985 Dr. S. Ramanathan
1986 K. V. Narayanaswamy
1987 B. Rajam Iyer
1988 Prof. T. Viswanathan - flute
1989 Maharajapuram V. Santhanam
1990 D. K. Jayaraman - vocal
1991 Nedunuri Krishnamurthy
1992 Thanjai K. P. Sivanandam
1993 Mani Krishnaswami - vocal
1994 T. K. Murthy - mridangam
1995 R. K. Srikantan
1996 Dr. N. Ramani - flute
1997 M. S. Gopalakrishnan - violin
1998 Sheik Chinna Moula - nadaswaram
1999 T. K. Govinda Rao - vocal
2000 R. Vedavalli - vocal
2001 Umayalpuram K Shivaraman - mridangam
2002 Sikkil Sisters (Neela & Kunjumani) - flute
2003 T. V. Shankaranarayanan - vocal
2004 Vellore G. Ramabhadran - mridangam
2005 M. Chandrasekharan - violin
2006 Madurai T. N. Seshagopalan - vocal

Read Sangeetham's article on Sangitha Kalanidhis.