Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor

Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor
Mammootty is the recent winner in 2025
Awarded for	Best performance by an actor in a Malayalam film
Sponsored by	Kerala State Chalachitra Academy
Reward	₹100,000 (US$1,200)
First award	1969
Final award	2025
Most recent winner	Mammootty
Highlights
Most awards	Mammootty (7)
Total awarded	55
First winner	Sathyan
Website	keralafilm.com

The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed directly by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala. Since 1998, the awards have been constituted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous, non-profit institution functioning under the Department of Cultural Affairs. ^[1] The awardees are decided by a jury constituted every year. ^[2] They are announced by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and are presented by the Chief Minister. ^[3]

Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the government has presented 55 Best Actor awards to 35 actors. The recipients receive a figurine, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹100,000 (US$1,200). ^{[4] [5]} Several actors have won the honour for more than one film in a given year. As of 2020, the only actor to have won the prize in consecutive years is Bharat Gopy, in 1982 and 1983.

The first Kerala State film Awards ceremony was held in 1970 with Sathyan receiving the award for Kadalpalam (1969). As of 2025, Mammootty is the most honoured actor with seven awards. Actors Bharat Gopy and Murali have won the award four times. Prithviraj Sukumaran is the youngest recipient at age 24 for Vaasthavam (2006). Mohanlal was the first to set the record for youngest recipient at age 26 for T.P. Balagopalan M.A. (1986), a record he held until 2006. ^[a] There were five years when there was a tie for the winner— Rajit Kapur and Murali shared the honour in 1998, Fahadh Faasil and Lal in 2013, Nivin Pauly and Sudev Nair in 2014, Jayasurya and Soubin Shahir in 2018, and Biju Menon and Joju George in 2021. The recent winner is Mammootty for Bramayugam (2024).

Winners

Mammooty is the most frequent winner with seven awards. He is also the most recent winner in 2025.

Prithviraj Sukumaran is the youngest recipient of the award (at age 24), for his role in Vaasthavam (2006).

†	Indicates a joint award for that year

Year	Image	Recipient(s)	Film(s)	Ref.
1969		Sathyan	Kadalpalam	[7]
1970		Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair	Aranazhika Neram	[8]
1971		Sathyan	Karakanakadal	[9]
1972		Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair	Maaya	[9]
1973		P. J. Antony	Nirmalyam	[9]
1974		Adoor Bhasi	Chattakari	[9]
1975		Sudheer	Sathyathinte Nizhalil	[9]
1976		M. G. Soman	Thanal Pallavi	[9]
1977		Bharat Gopy	Kodiyettam	[9]
1978		Sukumaran	Bandhanam	[9]
1979		Adoor Bhasi	Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal	[9]
1980		Achankunju	Lorry	[9]
1981		Nedumudi Venu	Various	[10]
1982		Bharat Gopy	Ormakkayi	[10]
1983			Ente Mamattukkuttiyammakku Rachana Kattathe Kilikkoodu Eenam	[10]
1984		Mammootty	Adiyozhukkukal	[10]
1985		Bharat Gopy	Chidambaram	[11]
1986		Mohanlal	T. P. Balagopalan M. A.	[10]
1987		Nedumudi Venu	Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam	[10]
1988		Premji	Piravi	[10]
1989		Mammootty	Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha Mrigaya Mahayanam	[10]
1990		Thilakan	Perumthachan	[10]
1991		Mohanlal	Abhimanyu Ulladakkam Kilukkam	[12]
1992		Murali	Aadhaaram	[12]
1993		Mammootty	Vidheyan Ponthan Mada Vatsalyam	[12]
1994		Thilakan	Gamanam Santhanagopalam	[12]
1995		Mohanlal	Spadikam Kaalapani	[12]
1996		Murali	Kaanaakkinaavu	[12]
1997		Suresh Gopi	Kaliyattam	[12]
1998 †		Murali	Thalolam	[12]
		Rajit Kapur	Agnisakshi	[13]
1999		Mohanlal	Vanaprastham	[12]
2000		O. Madhavan	Sayahnam	[14]
2001		Murali	Neythukaran	[14]
2002		Oduvil Unnikrishnan	Nizhalkuthu	[14]
2003		Nedumudi Venu	Margam	[14]
2004		Mammootty	Kaazhcha	[14]
2005		Mohanlal	Thanmathra	[14]
2006		Prithviraj Sukumaran	Vaasthavam	[14]
2007		Mohanlal	Paradesi	[14]
2008		Lal	Thalappavu	[14]
2009		Mammootty	Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha	[14]
2010		Salim Kumar	Adaminte Makan Abu	[14]
2011		Dileep	Vellaripravinte Changathi	[14]
2012		Prithviraj Sukumaran	Celluloid Ayalum Njanum Thammil	[14]
2013 †		Fahadh Faasil	Artist North 24 Kaatham	[ citation needed ]
		Lal	Ayaal Zachariayude Garbhinikal
2014 †		Nivin Pauly	1983	[ citation needed ]
		Sudev Nair	My Life Partner
2015		Dulquer Salmaan	Charlie	[15]
2016		Vinayakan	Kammatipaadam	[16]
2017		Indrans	Aalorukkam	[17]
2018 †		Soubin Shahir	Sudani from Nigeria	[18]
		Jayasurya	Captain Njan Marykutty
2019		Suraj Venjaramoodu	Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 Vikruthi	[19]
2020		Jayasurya	Vellam	[20]
2021 †		Biju Menon	Aarkkariyam	[21]
		Joju George	Nayattu Madhuram Thuramukham Freedom Fight
2022		Mammootty	Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam	[22]
2023		Prithviraj Sukumaran	Aadujeevitham	[23]
2024		Mammootty	Bramayugam	[24]

Notes

1. In 1986, Mohanlal received the award for T. P. Balagopalan M. A. at age 26. ^[6]

References

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2. India Today International. Living Media. 1999. p. 52. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
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15. Express News Service (1 March 2016). "Dulquer Salman's Charlie Bags Eight Kerala State Film Awards 2015". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
16. "Kerala State Film Awards 2016: Complete winners' list". The Times of India . 7 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
17. Correspondent (8 March 2018). "Kerala state film awards live: Best actor is Indrans, best actress Parvathy". Malayala Manorama . Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.{{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
18. Express News Service (27 February 2019). "Kerala State Film Awards: Soubin Shahir, Jayasurya share Best Actor award, Nimisha is Best Actress". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
19. "Suraj Venjaramoodu, Kani Kusurthi and Lijo Jose Pellissery win big at 50th Kerala State Film Awards". The Times of India . 13 October 2020. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
20. Praveen, S. R. (16 October 2021). "51st Kerala State Film Awards: Here is the full list of winners". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
21. Praveen, S. R. (27 May 2022). "Experimental cinema wins big at 52nd Kerala State Film Awards". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
22. ETimes.in (21 July 2023). "53rd Kerala State Film Awards: Mammootty is the best actor; Vincy Aloshious wins best actress". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
23. K., Janani (16 August 2024). "Kerala State Film Awards: Prithviraj, Urvashi, Beena R Chandran win top acting honours". India Today . Retrieved 16 August 2024.
24. "Kerala State Awards: Mammootty wins Best Actor, Manjummel Boys is Best Film".

External links

• Official website Archived 29 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
• Department of Cultural Affairs Archived 5 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
• Department of Information and Public Relations: Awardees list