Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024 and 2025

PRERNA FOR IAS

Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2024 and 2025

Why in News

On 13 August 2026, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024 and 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. A total of 115 eminent artists were honoured, including seven Akademi Fellows and 108 Akademi Award recipients.

Background

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s national academy for music, dance and drama, was established in 1952. Its awards have been conferred since that year to recognise sustained excellence in India’s performing arts. The Akademi functions under the Ministry of Culture and plays an important role in preserving and promoting India’s diverse artistic traditions.

Major Categories

The honours cover music, dance, theatre, traditional, folk and tribal arts, puppetry, and overall contribution or scholarship in the performing arts. The Akademi Ratna or Fellowship is the Akademi’s highest honour and is restricted to a maximum of 40 living persons. It carries ₹3 lakh, a Tamrapatra, citation and Angavastram. The Akademi Puraskar carries ₹1 lakh, besides similar ceremonial honours.

Selection and Eligibility

Awardees are chosen for sustained individual achievement, not for a single performance. An award candidate is ordinarily at least 35 years old, while a Fellow is ordinarily at least 50. The General Council makes the final selection on recommendations processed through the Akademi’s institutional mechanism.

India’s Stand and Significance

India views these honours as instruments for protecting cultural diversity and intangible heritage. They recognise not only classical traditions but also folk, tribal and regional art forms, thereby giving national visibility to lesser-known traditions.

Current Status

For the 2024 and 2025 cycle, the Akademi selected seven Fellows and 108 awardees, representing different States, Union Territories and artistic traditions. The 2026 ceremony reinforced the Government’s emphasis on artists as custodians of India’s cultural memory and living heritage.

Analytical Questions

1. Why are awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards important in a country as diverse as India?

Answer: India has many classical, folk, tribal and regional traditions. Some of them may decline if artists do not receive recognition and support. These awards give national visibility to such traditions. They also encourage younger artists to continue them. In this way, recognition becomes a tool for cultural preservation.

2. Should cultural awards focus only on famous artists, or also on lesser-known traditional performers?

Answer: They should include both. Famous artists bring wider attention, but many traditional performers work quietly in small communities. Their knowledge may disappear if it is not recognised. A national award can give them dignity, visibility and support. It also tells society that cultural value is not measured only by popularity.

3. How can the Government ensure that the selection process remains fair and credible?

Answer: The process should be transparent and based on clear criteria. Experts from different regions and art forms should be involved. Conflict of interest should be avoided. The Akademi should also document why a person is selected. This will build trust and reduce the feeling that awards depend on influence or connections.

4. Is giving an award enough to preserve India’s performing arts?

Answer: No. Awards are important, but they are only one part of preservation. Artists also need training centres, performance spaces, pensions, digital archives and regular opportunities to perform. Schools can expose children to local traditions. Without such long-term support, recognition alone may not keep an art form alive.

5. How can traditional performing arts remain relevant to younger generations without losing their originality?

Answer: Traditions should be preserved, but they can also adapt in presentation. Digital platforms, subtitles, short educational videos and collaborations can attract younger audiences. The core form should not be distorted just for popularity. The aim should be to improve access while respecting the discipline, history and identity of the art.