Kalidas Samman Winners List (1980-2024)

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Published Oct 25, 2026 Updated Oct 25, 2026 1 min read

Overview Award Winners Official Website Award Chart FAQs

Name	Kalidas Samman
Award For	Outstanding contribution in Classical Music, Classical Dance, Theatre, Plastic Arts / Visual Arts
Award By	Government of Madhya Pradesh
First Award	1980
First Awardee	Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
Last Award	2024
Last Awardee	Raghupati Bhat
Total Awarded	107
Status	active
Official URL	https://www.culturemp.in/

About Kalidas Samman

The Kalidas Samman is a prestigious state-level arts award presented annually by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in India, named after the ancient Classical Sanskrit writer and dramatist Kalidasa. It is prestigious arts award presented annually by Government of Madhya Pradesh. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India.

Kalidas Samman (1980-2024) Winners List

This Winners List features 107 winners of the Kalidas Samman, from 1980 to 2024.

Year	Recipient Name	Gender	Profession	Fields

2024	Raghupati Bhat	male	Painter	Ganjifa Arts
2022	Pt. Venkatesh Kumar	male	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
2020	Aruna Sairam	female	Carnatic vocalist	Classical Music
2018	Surendra Verma Also won: Sahitya Akademi Award (1996) , Vyas Samman (2016)	male	Hindi playwright, novelist	Theatre
2018	Anjolie Ela Menon	female	Painter	Visual Arts
2017	Lakshmi Viswanathan	female	Bharatanatyam dancer, writer	Classical Dance
2016	Ram Gopal Bajaj	male	Theatre director, actor	Theatre
2015	Bansi Kaul	male	Theatre director, designer	Theatre
2015	Robin David	male	Sculptor	Sculpture Arts
2014	Raj Bisaria	male	Theatre director	Theatre
2012	Keshavrao Musalgaonkar	male	Sanskrit scholar	Classical Music
2010	Anupam Kher	male	Actor	Theatre
2009	Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan Also won: Padma Bhushan (2013)	female	Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer	Classical Dance
2009	Dr. N. Rajam Also won: Padma Bhushan (2004) , Padma Vibhushan (2026)	female	Hindustani violinist	Classical Music
2008	Pandit Chhannulal Mishra Also won: Padma Bhushan (2010) , Padma Vibhushan (2020)	male	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
2008	Jairma Patel	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
2008	Kalamandalam Gopi	male	Kathakali artist	Classical Dance
2007	Satish Gujral Also won: Padma Vibhushan (1999)	male	Painter, sculptor, architect	Plastic Arts
2007	Babasaheb alias Balwant Moreshwar Purandare Also won: Padma Vibhushan (2019)	male	Historian, writer	Theatre
2007	Pt. Balwantrai Bhatt 'Bhavrang'	male	Hindustani vocalist, composer	Classical Music
2007	C. V. Chandrasekhar Also won: Padma Bhushan (2011)	male		Classical Dance
2006	Dr. Pandit Puttaraj Kavi Gavaigalavaru Also won: Padma Bhushan (2010)	male	Hindustani vocalist, composer	Classical Music
2006	Sonal Mansingh Also won: Padma Bhushan (1992) , Padma Vibhushan (2003)	female	Odissi and Bharatanatyam dancer	Classical Dance
2006	Vimal Lath	male	Theatre director, writer	Theatre
2006	Shanti Dave	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
2005	Dr.(Smt) Kanak Yatindra Rele Also won: Padma Bhushan (2013)	female		Classical Dance
2005	Zakir Hussain Also won: Padma Bhushan (2002) , Padma Vibhushan (2023)	male	Tabla player	Classical Music
2005	Ratan Thiyam	male	Theatre director, playwright	Theatre
2005	Manjit Bawa	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
2004	Dr. Prabha Atre Also won: Padma Bhushan (2002) , Padma Vibhushan (2022)	female	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
2004	Rajkumar Singhajit Singh	male	Manipuri dancer, choreographer	Classical Dance
2004	Devendra Raj Ankur	male	Theatre director	Theatre
2004	Nagji Patel	male	Sculptor	Plastic Arts
2003	Pt Vishnu Govind Jog Also won: Padma Bhushan (1983)	male	Violinist	Classical Music
2003	Chandralekha	female	Dancer, choreographer	Classical Dance
2003	Gursharan Singh	male	Punjabi theatre activist	Theatre
2003	Himmat Shah	male	Sculptor	Plastic Arts
2002	Gulam Mohammed Sheikh Also won: Padma Bhushan (2014) , Sahitya Akademi Award (2022)	male	Painter, poet	Plastic Arts
2002	Kumudini Lakhia Also won: Padma Bhushan (2010) , Padma Vibhushan (2025)	female	Kathak dancer, choreographer	Classical Dance
2002	Ustad Rahim Fahimuddin Khan Dagar Also won: Padma Bhushan (2008)	male	Dhrupad vocalist	Classical Music
2002	Khalid Chaudhary	male	Stage designer	Theatre
2001	Dr. Yamini Krishnamurti Also won: Padma Bhushan (2001) , Padma Vibhushan (2016)	female	Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer	Classical Dance
2001	K. V. Subbanna Also won: Ramon Magsaysay Award (1991) , Sahitya Akademi Award (2003)	male	Theatre activist, writer	Theatre
2001	Sumati Mutatkar	female	Hindustani vocalist, musicologist	Classical Music
2001	Jogen Chowdhury	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
2000	Dr. Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna Also won: Padma Vibhushan (1991)	male	Carnatic vocalist, composer	Classical Music
2000	Zohra Segal Also won: Padma Vibhushan (2010)	male	Actress, dancer	Theatre
2000	Rohini Bhate	female	Kathak dancer, scholar	Classical Dance
2000	Sankho Chaudhuri	male	Sculptor	Plastic Arts
1999	Satyadev Dubey Also won: Padma Bhushan (2011)	male		Theatre
1999	Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia Also won: Padma Bhushan (1992) , Padma Vibhushan (2000)	male	Bansuri (flute) player	Classical Music
1999	K. P. Kittappa Pillai	male	Bharatanatyam guru, nattuvanar	Classical Dance
1999	Francis Newton Souza	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1998	Ms. Arpita Singh Also won: Padma Bhushan (2011)	female	Painter	Plastic Arts
1998	Girish Karnad Also won: Padma Bhushan (1992) , Sahitya Akademi Award (1994) , Jnanpith Award (1998)	male	Playwright, actor, director	Theatre
1998	Kalanidhi Narayanan Also won: Padma Bhushan (1985)	female	Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher	Classical Dance
1998	Damal Krishnaswami Pattamal Also won: Padma Bhushan (1971) , Padma Vibhushan (1999)	female	Carnatic vocalist	Classical Music
1997	Akbar Padamsee Also won: Padma Bhushan (2010)	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1997	Pt. Jasraj Also won: Padma Bhushan (1990) , Padma Vibhushan (2000)	male	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
1997	Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma	female	Mohiniyattam dancer	Classical Dance
1997	Tapas Sen	male	Stage lighting designer	Theatre
1996	Mrinalini Sarabhai Also won: Padma Bhushan (1992)	female	Classical dancer, choreographer	Classical Dance
1996	Pandit Kishan Maharaj Also won: Padma Vibhushan (2002)	male	Tabla player	Classical Music
1996	Shriram Lagoo	male	Actor, doctor	Theatre
1996	Sheila Bhatia	female	Theatre director, playwright	Theatre
1996	Bhupen Khakhar	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1995	Probodh Chandra Manna Dey Also won: Padma Bhushan (2005)	male	Playback singer	Classical Vocal
1995	Alla Rakha	male	Tabla player	Classical Instrumental
1995	Sitara Devi	female	Kathak dancer	Classical Dance
1994	Kavalam Narayana Panikkar Also won: Padma Bhushan (2007)	male	Playwright, theatre director, poet	Theatre
1994	Padmavati Gokhale Shaligram	female	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
1993	Shanta Rao	female	Classical dancer	Classical Dance
1993	B.V. Karanth	male	Theatre director, composer	Theatre
1992	Ramankutty Nair Also won: Padma Bhushan (2007)	male	Kathakali artist	Classical Dance
1992	Syed Haider Raza Also won: Padma Bhushan (2007) , Padma Vibhushan (2013)	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1992	Ammannur Madhava Chakyar Also won: Padma Bhushan (2003)	male	Koodiyattam artist	Classical Dance
1992	Badal Sarkar	male	Bengali playwright, director	Theatre
1991	Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam Also won: Padma Bhushan (1998)	male	Kuchipudi dancer, guru	Classical Dance
1991	Pt. Ram Narayan Also won: Padma Bhushan (1991) , Padma Vibhushan (2005)	male	Sarangi player	Classical Music
1991	Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Also won: Padma Bhushan (1967) , Padma Vibhushan (1989)	male	Sarod player	Classical Music
1991	Vijaya Mehta	female	Theatre director, actress	Theatre
1991	Jagdish Swaminathan	male	Painter, poet	Plastic Arts
1990	Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam Also won: Padma Bhushan (2003) , Padma Vibhushan (2024)	female	Bharatanatyam dancer, scholar	Classical Dance
1990	Vijay Dhondopant Tendulkar Also won: Padma Bhushan (1984) , Saraswati Samman (1993)	male	Marathi playwright, screenwriter	Theatre
1989	Habib Ahmed Khan Tanvir Also won: Padma Bhushan (2002)	male	Playwright, theatre director	Theatre
1989	Vilayat Khan	male	Sitar player	Classical Music
1989	Guru Bipin Singh	male	Manipuri dancer, guru	Classical Dance
1989	Vasudeo S. Gaitonde	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1988	Tyeb Mehta Also won: Padma Bhushan (2007)	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1988	Kelu Charan Mohapatra Also won: Padma Bhushan (1988) , Padma Vibhushan (2000)	male	Odissi dancer, guru	Classical Dance
1988	Madurai Shanmugavadivu Subbalakshmi	female	Carnatic vocalist	Classical Music
1988	Tripti Mitra	female	Theatre and film actress	Theatre
1987	Purushottam Laxman Deshpande Also won: Padma Bhushan (1990) , Sahitya Akademi Award (1965)	male	Marathi writer, humorist, performer	Theatre
1987	Maqbool Fida Husain Also won: Padma Bhushan (1973) , Padma Vibhushan (1991)	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1987	Ravi Shankar	male	Sitar player, composer	Classical Music
1987	V. Satyanarayana Sarma	male	Kuchipudi dancer	Classical Dance
1986	Ebrahim Alkazi Also won: Padma Bhushan (1991) , Padma Vibhushan (2010)	male	Theatre director, teacher	Theatre
1986	Prof. Narayan Shridhar Bendre Also won: Padma Bhushan (1991)	male	Painter	Plastic Arts
1986	Birju Maharaj Also won: Padma Vibhushan (1986)	male	Kathak dancer, choreographer	Classical Dance
1986	Zia Mohiuddin Dagar	male	Rudra veena player	Classical Music
1985	Ram Kumar Also won: Padma Bhushan (2010)	male	Painter, writer	Plastic Arts
1984	Shivputra Sidhram Komkali Alias Kumar Gandharv Also won: Padma Bhushan (1977) , Padma Vibhushan (1990)	male	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
1983	Rukmini Devi Arundale Also won: Padma Bhushan (1956)	female	Bharatanatyam dancer, educationist	Classical Dance
1982	Sombhu Mitra Also won: Padma Bhushan (1970) , Ramon Magsaysay Award (1976)	male	Theatre director, actor	Theatre
1981	Prof. Kalapathi Ganapathi Subramanyan Also won: Padma Bhushan (2006) , Padma Vibhushan (2012)	male	Painter, sculptor, art teacher	Plastic Arts
1980	Mallikarjuna Bhimarayappa Mansoor Also won: Padma Bhushan (1976) , Padma Vibhushan (1992)	male	Hindustani vocalist	Classical Music
1980	Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer Also won: Padma Bhushan (1969) , Padma Vibhushan (1991)	male	Carnatic vocalist	Classical Music