Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024-25 recognise 115 artists, including 7 Akademi Fellows and 108 awardees. Check key facts, history and exam-focused details.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Announces Major Cultural Honours
The Sangeet Natak Akademi has announced a major set of honours recognising distinguished contributions to India’s performing arts. For the years 2024 and 2025, the Akademi selected 115 eminent artists, comprising 7 Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna) and 108 recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar). The announcement was made by the Ministry of Culture in June 2026.
Seven Artists Selected for Akademi Fellowship
The Akademi General Council selected seven eminent personalities as Akademi Fellows, the highest honour associated with the institution. The selected Fellows are Ramlal Bareth, A.V. Anand, Rita Ganguly, Puru Dadheech, Chittaranjan Jyotishi, Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma and Sudharani Raghupathy. The fellowship recognises sustained and significant contributions to music, dance, theatre and other performing arts.
108 Artists Receive Akademi Puraskar
In addition to the fellowships, 108 artists were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2024 and 2025. The awardees represent a broad range of disciplines, including music, dance, theatre, traditional, folk and tribal performing arts, puppetry, and overall contribution or scholarship in performing arts. This wide coverage reflects India’s diverse cultural traditions.
Selection Covers Diverse Performing Art Traditions
The awards are important because they recognise not only mainstream classical traditions but also India’s traditional, folk and tribal artistic practices. The inclusion of these categories helps preserve cultural forms that are often transmitted through generations and regional communities. The 2024-25 selections therefore highlight the breadth of India’s performing-arts heritage.
Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture
The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s national academy dedicated to music, dance and drama and functions under the Ministry of Culture. Its awards are among the country’s important national recognitions in the performing-arts sector. The Akademi’s official information states that the annual Akademi Awards currently number 41 and carry a cash award of ₹1 lakh, along with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
General Council Made the Selection
The selections for the 2024 and 2025 honours were made by the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi at its meeting held in New Delhi from 22 to 26 March 2026. The Council unanimously elected seven eminent personalities as Akademi Fellows and selected 108 artists for the Akademi Puraskar.
Why the Number 115 Is Important for Exams
For government-exam aspirants, the number 115 is an important current-affairs fact. It represents the combined number of artists selected for the Akademi Fellowship and Akademi Awards for 2024 and 2025: 7 Fellows + 108 Awardees = 115 artists. Questions may also test the distinction between Akademi Ratna and Akademi Puraskar.
Awards Strengthen India’s Cultural Heritage
Recognition through national cultural institutions plays an important role in preserving India’s intangible heritage. Artists who dedicate decades to music, dance, theatre, puppetry and traditional performance contribute to the continuation of cultural knowledge. Such awards also encourage younger generations to pursue and preserve India’s diverse artistic traditions.
Why This News is Important
Importance for Government Exams
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024-25 are relevant to competitive examinations because they combine several frequently tested areas: national awards, culture, performing arts, government institutions and the Ministry of Culture. Questions in UPSC, State PCS, SSC, banking and other examinations may ask candidates to identify the organisation responsible for the awards, the number of recipients, the categories covered or the significance of the fellowship.
Important Numbers to Remember
A key fact is that 115 artists were selected across the two honours announced for 2024 and 2025. Of these, 7 were chosen as Akademi Fellows, while 108 received the Akademi Awards. The General Council made the selections during its March 2026 meeting.
Importance of Cultural Heritage
The awards are also significant from the perspective of India’s cultural heritage. The recognised disciplines include classical and traditional performing arts as well as folk and tribal traditions. This demonstrates the role of national institutions in documenting, supporting and celebrating India’s cultural diversity.
Link with Government Institutions
The Sangeet Natak Akademi operates under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Remembering this institutional relationship is particularly useful for General Studies and current-affairs examinations. The Akademi describes itself as the national academy of music, dance and drama.
Broader Significance
The recognition of established artists and emerging artistic traditions helps strengthen India’s cultural ecosystem. For aspirants, the story should therefore be studied not merely as an awards announcement but as a part of the broader topic of Indian art and culture, national institutions and cultural preservation.
Historical Context: Sangeet Natak Akademi and Its Awards
Establishment of the Akademi
The Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1952 as India’s national academy for music, dance and drama. It has played an important role in supporting and documenting India’s performing-arts traditions.
Beginning of the Akademi Awards
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is one of India’s major recognitions for achievements in performing arts. The award recognises artists working in fields such as music, dance, theatre, traditional and folk arts and puppetry.
Akademi Fellowship
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, popularly known as Akademi Ratna, is the Akademi’s highest honour. It is reserved for eminent personalities who have made significant and sustained contributions to performing arts. The fellowship is limited in number, making it a particularly prestigious recognition. The Akademi states that the Fellowship is restricted to 40 living Fellows at any given time.
Evolution of the Awards
Over the decades, the Akademi Awards have expanded their coverage to include a wide range of Indian artistic traditions. In addition to classical music, dance and theatre, the awards recognise traditional, folk and tribal forms and puppetry. This broad framework reflects India’s multicultural performing-arts heritage.
Recent Award Cycles
The Akademi has continued to announce awards and fellowships for successive years. Its official records show earlier announcements for the 2022 and 2023 awards as well as previous award cycles. The 2024 and 2025 selections represent another important milestone in this continuing national recognition system.
Key Takeaways from Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024-25
This News
| S. No. | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1 | 115 artists were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi honours for 2024 and 2025. |
| 2 | 7 eminent personalities were elected as Akademi Fellows, also known as Akademi Ratna. |
| 3 | 108 artists were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards, or Akademi Puraskar. |
| 4 | The selections were made by the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi during its meeting held from 22–26 March 2026 in New Delhi. |
| 5 | The awards cover music, dance, theatre, traditional/folk/tribal arts, puppetry and overall contribution or scholarship in performing arts. |
FAQs
1. What are the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024-25?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024-25 are national-level honours recognising outstanding contributions to India’s music, dance, theatre and other performing arts traditions.
2. How many artists were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi honours for 2024-25?
A total of 115 artists were selected, comprising 7 Akademi Fellows and 108 Akademi Award recipients.
3. What is the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship also known as?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship is popularly known as Akademi Ratna and is the Akademi’s highest honour.
4. How many artists were selected as Akademi Fellows for 2024-25?
Seven eminent personalities were selected as Akademi Fellows.
5. How many artists received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2024-25?
A total of 108 artists were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, also known as the Akademi Puraskar.
6. Which organisation gives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards?
The awards are given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s national academy for music, dance and drama.
7. Under which ministry does the Sangeet Natak Akademi function?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
8. When was the Sangeet Natak Akademi established?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1952.
9. What areas are covered by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards?
The awards cover several areas, including music, dance, theatre, traditional, folk and tribal performing arts, puppetry, and scholarship or overall contribution to performing arts.
10. Where and when did the General Council make the 2024-25 selections?
The General Council made the selections in New Delhi from 22 to 26 March 2026.
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