Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Director

Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Direction
State award for contributions to Kannada cinema
Awarded for	Best Music Direction for Songs / Background Music
Sponsored by	Government of Karnataka
Rewards	Silver Medal ₹20,000
First award	1967-68
Final award	2021
Most recent winner	Imtiaz Sultan
Highlights
Total awarded	50
First winner	Vijaya Bhaskar

Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Director is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honours Kannada language films.

Superlative winners

• Vijaya Bhaskar	6 Awards
• Hamsalekha  • M. Ranga Rao  • Upendra Kumar  • V. Manohar	3 Awards

Winners

The following is a partial list of award winners and the name of the films for which they won.

Key

Symbol	Meaning
	Indicates winner for Best Background Score

Year	Image	Recipient(s)	Film	Refs.
2021	–	Imtiaz Sultan	Bisilu Kudure	[1]
2020	–	Gagan Baderia	Malgudi Days	[2]
2019	–	V. Harikrishna	Yajamana	[3]
2018		Ravi Basrur	K.G.F: Chapter 1	[4] [5]
2017	–	V. Harikrishna	Raajakumara	[6]
2016		Charan Raj	Jeerjimbe	[7]
2015	–	Sridhar V. Sambhram	Krishna Leela	[8]
2014	–	B. Ajaneesh Loknath	Ulidavaru Kandanthe	[9]
2013		Poornachandra Tejaswi	Lucia	[10]
2012	–	Arjun Janya	Alemaari
2011	–	Anoop Seelin	Sidlingu	[11]
2010–11	–	Jayashree Aravind	Ondooralli	[12]
2009–10	–	This Award is taken back
2008–09		Abhiman Roy	Tajmahal
2007–08	–	Sadhu Kokila	Inthi Ninna Preethiya
2006–07		Mano Murthy	Mungaaru Male	[13]
2005–06		Hamsalekha	Nenapirali	[14]
2004–05	–	Sadhu Kokila	Rakshasa	[15]
2003–04	–	V. Manohar	Chigurida Kanasu	[16]
2002–03	–	Stephen Prayog	Paris Pranaya	[17]
2001–02		V. Ravichandran	Ekangi	[18]
2000–01	–	N. Govardhan	Mahalakshmi	[19]
1999–2000		K. Kalyan	Chandramukhi Pranasakhi	[19]
1998–99	–	No Award	N/A
1997–98	–	V. Manohar	Jodi Hakki
1996–97	–	V. Manohar	Janumada Jodi
1995–96		Hamsalekha	Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai
1994–95		Hamsalekha	Haalunda Thavaru
1993–94		C. Ashwath	Chinnari Mutha
1992–93	–	Upendra Kumar	Jeevana Chaitra
1991–92	–	Vijaya Bhaskar	Pathitha Pavani
1989–90	–	Vijaya Bhaskar	Muraligaana Amruthapaana
1988–89	–	Upendra Kumar	Nanjundi Kalyana
1987–88	–	L. Vaidyanathan [a]	Pushpaka Vimana
1986–87	–	No award	N/A
1985–86	–	G. K. Venkatesh	Hosa Neeru
1984–85	–	M. Ranga Rao	Bandhana	[20]
1983–84	–	Vijaya Bhaskar	Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage
1982–83		Rajeev Taranath	Shrungara Maasa
1981–82	–	M. Ranga Rao	Hosa Belaku
1980–81		Chandrashekhara Kambara	Sangeetha
1978–79	–	Rajan–Nagendra	Parasangada Gendethimma	[21]
1977–78		C. Ashwath	Spandana
1976–77		Rajeev Taranath	Pallavi
1975–76	–	B. V. Karanth	Hamsageethe
		M. Balamuralikrishna
1974–75	–	G. K. Venkatesh	Bhakta Kumbara
1973–74	–	Rajan–Nagendra	Eradu Kanasu	[21]
1972–73	–	Vijaya Bhaskar	Sankalpa
1971–72	–	Vijaya Bhaskar	Yaava Janmada Maitri
1970–71		Salil Chowdhary	Samshaya Phala
1969–70	–	T. G. Lingappa	Sri Krishnadevaraya
1968–69	–	M. Ranga Rao	Hannele Chiguridaga
1967–68	–	Vijaya Bhaskar	Belli Moda

See also

• Cinema of Karnataka
• List of Kannada-language films

Notes

1. This movie does not have any songs. It is the first Silent film of Modern Indian Cinema. This award for Background Score only.

References

1. "Karnataka State Film Awards: Rakshit Shetty To Archana Jois, See Full List Of Winners". NDTV.com. 5 October 2025.
2. "Karnataka State Awards 2020: Sanchari Vijay presented posthumous Jury Award". DeccanHerald.com. 12 March 2025.
3. "Karnataka State Film Awards 2019 List Out". TimesofIndia.com. 23 January 2025. Archived from the original on 23 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
4. "KARNATAKA STATE FILM AWARDS 2018: RAGHAVENDRA RAJKUMAR AND MEGHANA RAJ BAG TOP HONOURS; CHECK OUT ALL WINNERS". bangalore mirror. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
5. "Karnataka State Film Awards 2018: Raghavendra Rajkumar and Meghana Raj Bag Top Honours". News18. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
6. Karnataka State Film Awards 2017 Announced
7. "Karnataka State Film Award Winners for 2016". The Times of India. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
8. "Overwhelmed by the honour". Deccan Herald. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
9. "After national honour, 'Harivu' bags top State film award". Deccan Herald. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
10. "Karantaka State Film Awards announced". The Times of India. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
11. "Karnataka State Film Awards 2010-11 winners". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 18 May 2013.
12. "Kannada State Film Awards list 2010-11 - The Times of India". The Times Of India.
13. Andre Soares (22 July 2007). "Karnataka State Film Awards – 2006-2007". Altfg.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
14. "Karnataka State Film Awards 2005-06 announced - Nayi Neralu bagged the first best film award". Viggy.com. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
15. "Karnataka State Film Awards 2004-05 announced - Monalisa bagged the first best film award". Viggy.com. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
16. "Karnataka / Bangalore News : Entry only to invitees at film awards function". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 15 July 2005. Archived from the original on 16 April 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
17. "Karnataka State Film Awards 2002-2003 announced - Artha of B. Suresh bagged the Best Film Award". Viggy.com. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
18. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
19. "Shivaraj, Tara, Anu bag State film awards". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 17 December 2001. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
20. "24 Frames". Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
21. "OurKarnataka.com - Articles : Nagendra". Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012.