The National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to a male playback singer for the best renditions of songs from films within the Indian film industry. The award was first granted to Mahendra Kapoor in 1967.
The award-winning singers have performed in nine major languages – Hindi (19 awards), Malayalam (9 awards), Bengali (7 awards), Telugu and Marathi (5 awards each), Tamil and Kannada (4 awards each), and Punjabi (1 award).
National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
K.J Yesudas holds the record for most awards in this category with eight awards in Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi, followed by S.P Balasubrhmanyam with six wins in four languages: Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil.
Udit Narayan and Shankar Mahadevan each have three awards, while Manna Dey, Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay, M. G. Sreekumar, Hariharan, and Arijit Singh have bagged this award twice.
List of Winners of National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer Year-wise
Here is the list of winners of National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer:
| List of award recipients, showing the year (award ceremony), song(s), film(s), language(s) and citation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Image | Recipient(s) | Song(s) | Film(s) | Language(s) | ||
| 1967 (15th) | Mahendra Kapoor | “Mere Desh Ki Dharti” | Upkar | Hindi | |||
| 1968 (16th) | Manna Dey | “Jhanak Jhanak Tori Baaje Paayaliya” | Mere Huzoor | Hindi | |||
| 1969 (17th) | Sachin Dev Burman | “Safal Hogi Teri Aradhana” | Aradhana | Hindi | |||
| 1970 (18th) | Manna Dey | • “Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo” • “Ja Khushi Ora Bole” | • Mera Naam Joker • Nishi Padma | • Hindi • Bengali | |||
| 1971 (19th) | Hemant Kumar | – | Nimantran | Bengali | |||
| 1972 (20th) | K. J. Yesudas | “Manushyan Mathangale” | Achanum Bappayum | Malayalam | |||
| 1973 (21st) | K. J. Yesudas | “Padmatheerthame Unaroo” | Gayathri | Malayalam | |||
| 1974 (22nd) | Mukesh | “Kahi Baar Yoon Bhi Dekha Hai” | Rajnigandha | Hindi | |||
| 1975 (23rd) | M. Balamuralikrishna | – | Hamsageethe | Kannada | |||
| 1976 (24th) | K. J. Yesudas | “Gori Tera Gaon Bada Pyara” | Chitchor | Hindi | |||
| 1977 (25th) | Mohammed Rafi | “Kya Hua Tera Wada” | Hum Kisise Kum Naheen | Hindi | |||
| 1978 (26th) | Shimoga Subbanna | “Kaadu Kudure Odi Banditta” | Kaadu Kudure | Kannada | |||
| 1979 (27th) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | “Omkara Naadaanusandhanamou” | Sankarabharanam | Telugu | |||
| 1980 (28th) | Anup Ghoshal | “Aaha Ke Anondo” | Hirak Rajar Deshe | Bengali | |||
| 1981 (29th) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | “Tere Mere Beech Mein” | Ek Duuje Ke Liye | Hindi | |||
| 1982 (30th) | K. J. Yesudas | “Akasha Desana” | Meghasandesam | Telugu | |||
| 1983 (31st) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | “Vedam Anuvanuvuna Naadam” | Saagara Sangamam | Telugu | |||
| 1984 (32nd) | Bhimsen Joshi | “Thumak Thumak Pag” | Ankahee | Hindi | |||
| 1985 (33rd) | Jayachandran | “Sivasankara Sarva Saranya Vibho” | Sree Narayana Guru | Malayalam | |||
| 1986 (34th) | Hemant Kumar | – | Lalan Fakir | Bengali | |||
| 1987 (35th) | K. J. Yesudas | “Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam” | Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam | Malayalam | |||
| 1988 (36th) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | “Cheppaalani Undi” | Rudraveena | Telugu | |||
| 1989 (37th) | Ajoy Chakrabarty | – | Chhandaneer | Bengali | |||
| 1990 (38th) | M. G. Sreekumar | “Nadharoopini Shankari Pahimam” | His Highness Abdullah | Malayalam | |||
| 1991 (39th) | K. J. Yesudas | “Ramakadha Gaanalayam” | Bharatham | Malayalam | |||
| 1992 (40th) | Rajkumar | “Naadamaya Ee Lokavella” | Jeevana Chaitra | Kannada | |||
| 1993 (41st) | K. J. Yesudas | “Ksheera Saagara” | Sopanam | Malayalam | |||
| 1994 (42nd) | P. Unni Krishnan | • “Ennavale” • “Uyirum Neeye” | • Kadhalan • Pavithra | Tamil | |||
| 1995 (43rd) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | “Umandu Ghumandu Ghana Garaje Badara” | Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai | Kannada | |||
| 1996 (44th) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | “Thanga Thamarai” | Minsara Kanavu | Tamil | |||
| 1997 (45th) | Hariharan | “Mere Dushman Mere Bhai” | Border | Hindi | |||
| 1998 (46th) | Sanjeev Abhyankar | “Suno Re Bhaila” | Godmother | Hindi | |||
| 1999 (47th) | M. G. Sreekumar | “Chanthu Pottum” | Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum | Malayalam | |||
| 2000 (48th) | Shankar Mahadevan | “Yenna Solla Pogirai” | Kandukondain Kandukondain | Tamil | |||
| 2001 (49th) | Udit Narayan | • “Mitwa” • “Jaane Kyon” | • Lagaan • Dil Chahta Hai | Hindi | |||
| 2002 (50th) | Udit Narayan | “Chhote Chhote Sapne” | Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai | Hindi | |||
| 2003 (51st) | Sonu Nigam | “Kal Ho Naa Ho” | Kal Ho Naa Ho | Hindi | |||
| 2004 (52nd) | Udit Narayan | “Yeh Taara Woh Taara” | Swades | Hindi | |||
| 2005 (53rd) | Naresh Iyer | “Roobaroo” | Rang De Basanti | Hindi | |||
| 2006 (54th) | Gurdas Maan | “Couplets of Heer” | Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris | Punjabi | |||
| 2007 (55th) | Shankar Mahadevan | “Maa” | Taare Zameen Par | Hindi | |||
| 2008 (56th) | Hariharan | “Jeev Dangla Gungla Rangla Asa” | Jogwa | Marathi | |||
| 2009 (57th) | Rupam Islam | “Ei To Ami”[44] | Mahanagar@Kolkata | Bengali | |||
| 2010 (58th) | Suresh Wadkar | “Hey Bhaskara Kshitijavari Ya” | Mee Sindhutai Sapkal | Marathi | |||
| 2011 (59th) | Anand Bhate | “Chinmaya Sakal Hridaya” | Balgandharva | Marathi | |||
| 2012 (60th) | Shankar Mahadevan | “Bolo Na” | Chittagong | Hindi | |||
| 2013 (61st) | Rupankar Bagchi | “E Tumi Kemon Tumi” | Jaatishwar | Bengali | |||
| 2014 (62nd) | Sukhwinder Singh | “Bismil” | Haider | Hindi | |||
| 2015 (63rd) | Mahesh Kale | “Aruni Kirani” | Katyar Kaljat Ghusali | Marathi | |||
| 2016 (64th) | – | Sundarayyar | “Jasmine-U” | Joker | Tamil | ||
| 2017 (65th) | K. J. Yesudas | “Poy Maranja Kalam” | Viswasapoorvam Mansoor | Malayalam | |||
| 2018 (66th) | Arijit Singh | “Binte Dil” | Padmaavat | Hindi | |||
| 2019 (67th) | B Praak | “Teri Mitti” | Kesari | Hindi | |||
| 2020 (68th) | Rahul Deshpande | – | Me Vasantrao | Marathi | |||
| 2021 (69th) | Kaala Bhairava | “Komuram Bheemudo” | RRR | Telugu | |||
| 2022 (70th) | Arijit Singh | “Kesariya” | Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva | Hindi | |||
Conclusion
The National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer honors exceptional vocal talent in Indian cinema, celebrating artists who elevate storytelling through their powerful performances and emotional resonance in film music.
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