National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer

The National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to a female playback singer for the best renditions of songs from films within the Indian film industry. The National Film Awards were called the "State Awards for Films" when established in 1954. The State Awards instituted the "Best Female Playback Singer" category in 1968. Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the Government of India has presented a total of 55 Best Female Playback Singer awards to 33 different female playback singers.

National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer
The 2023 recipient: Shilpa Rao
Awarded for	Best Vocal Performance by a Female Playback Singer
Sponsored by	National Film Development Corporation of India
Rewards	Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) ₹2,00,000
First award	1968
Final award	2023
Most recent winner	Shilpa Rao, "Chaleya" from Jawan
Highlights
Most wins	K. S. Chithra (6)
Total awarded	55
First winner	P. Susheela

Until 1974, winners of the National Film Award in this category received a commemorative plaque and certificate; since 1975, they have been awarded with a "Rajat Kamal" (silver lotus), certificate and a cash prize that amounted to ₹50,000 (US$590) in 2012, and ₹2 lakh (US$2,400) in 2022.^[1] Although the Indian film industry produces films in more than 20 languages and dialects,^[2] the female playback singers who have received the 'Rajat Kamal' awards have recorded their renditions in nine major languages: Tamil (fifteen awards), Hindi (fifteen awards), Telugu (seven awards), Marathi (six awards), Bengali (six awards), Malayalam (five awards), Kannada (one award), Assamese (one award) and Konkani (one award).

The first recipient was P. Susheela, who was honoured at the 16th National Film Awards in 1968 for her rendition from the Tamil film Uyarntha Manithan. As of 2021, The female playback singer who won the most 'Rajat Kamal' awards is K. S. Chithra with six wins, followed by P. Susheela and Shreya Ghoshal with five wins each. S. Janaki won the award four times. Two female playback singers — Lata Mangeshkar and Vani Jairam have won it thrice, while three female playback singers — Asha Bhosle, Alka Yagnik and Arati Ankalikar Tikekar have won it twice. Shreya Ghoshal won the award for her renditions in five different languages, followed by S. Janaki and K. S. Chithra, both of whom won for their renditions in three different languages. Sandhya Mukhopadhyay and Shreya Ghoshal are the only recipients who received the award for two renditions from two different films in the same year, with Ghoshal being the only recipient who received the award for two renditions from two different films in two different languages. K. S. Chithra and Roopa Ganguly are the only recipients who received the award for two renditions from the same film in the same year. Vani Jairam and Lata Mangeshkar are the only recipients who received the award for their various renditions in a single film in the same year. As of 2022, Uthara Unnikrishnan is the youngest recipient who received the award at the age of ten,^[3] and Nanjamma is the oldest recipient who received the award at the age of sixty-two.^[4] The only siblings who have received the award are Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. No award was given in this category at the 21st National Film Awards in 1973. The most recent recipient of the award is Shilpa Rao who will be honoured at the 71st National Film Awards for the song "Chaleya" from the Hindi film Jawan.

Key

Symbol	Meaning
Year	Indicates the year in which the film was censored by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
†	Indicates a joint award for that year
‡	Indicates that the winner won the award for two renditions from the same or two different films in that year
⸸	Indicates that the winner won the award for various renditions in that year

Superlatives

Winners	Number of wins	Years
K. S. Chithra	6	1985, 1986, 1988, 1996, 1997, 2004
P. Susheela	5	1968, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1983
Shreya Ghoshal		2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2021
S. Janaki	4	1977, 1980, 1984, 1992

Recipients

P. Susheela has won the award five times. She is the first-ever recipient of the award.

With six wins in three different languages, K. S. Chithra is the most awarded recipient in this category.

Shreya Ghoshal has won the award five times in five different languages. She is the only recipient to be honoured for two renditions from two different films of different languages in a same year.

Lata Mangeshkar (left) has won the award thrice and Asha Bhosle (right) has won it twice. They are the only siblings to be honoured in this category.

List of award recipients, showing the year, song(s), film(s) and language(s)

Year[a]	Recipient(s)	Song(s)	Film(s)	Language(s)	Refs.
1968 (16th)	P. Susheela	"Paal Polave"	Uyarndha Manithan	Tamil	[5]
1969 (17th)	K. B. Sundarambal	"Pazhanimalai Meethile"	Thunaivan	Tamil	[6]
1970 (18th) ‡	Sandhya Mukhopadhyay	"Amader Chhuti Chhuti"	Jay Jayanti [b]	Bengali	[7]
		"Ore Sakol Sona Molin Holo"	Nishi Padma
1971 (19th)	P. Susheela	"Chittukuruvikkena Kattupaadu"	Savaale Samali	Tamil	[8]
1972 (20th)	Lata Mangeshkar	"Beeti Naa Bitaai Raina"	Parichay	Hindi	[9]
1973 (21st)	No awards				[10]
1974 (22nd)	Lata Mangeshkar	"Roothe Roothe Piya"	Kora Kagaz	Hindi	[11]
1975 (23rd)	Vani Jairam	"Yezhu Swarangalukkul"	Apoorva Raagangal	Tamil	[12]
1976 (24th)	P. Susheela	"Jhummandi Naadham"	Siri Siri Muvva	Telugu	[8]
1977 (25th)	S. Janaki	"Senthoora Poove"	16 Vayathinile	Tamil	[13]
1978 (26th)	Chhaya Ganguly	"Aap Ki Yaad Aati Rahi Raat Bhar"	Gaman	Hindi	[14]
1979 (27th) ⸸	Vani Jairam	– [c]	Sankarabharanam	Telugu	[15]
1980 (28th)	S. Janaki	"Ettumanoor Ambalathil Ezhunnallathu"	Oppol	Malayalam	[16]
1981 (29th)	Asha Bhosle	"Dil Cheez Kya Hai"	Umrao Jaan	Hindi	[17]
1982 (30th)	P. Susheela	"Priye Charusheele"	Meghasandesam	Telugu	[18]
1983 (31st)	P. Susheela	"Entho Beeda Vaade Gopaludu"	M. L. A. Yedukondalu	Telugu	[19]
1984 (32nd)	S. Janaki	"Vennello Godhari"	Sitaara	Telugu	[20]
1985 (33rd) ‡	K. S. Chithra	"Paadariyen"	Sindhu Bhairavi [d]	Tamil	[21]
		"Naan Oru Sindhu"
1986 (34th)	K. S. Chithra	"Manjal Prasadavum"	Nakhakshathangal	Malayalam	[22]
1987 (35th)	Asha Bhosle	"Mera Kuchh Saamaan"	Ijaazat	Hindi	[23]
1988 (36th)	K. S. Chithra	"Indupushpam Choodi Nilkum"	Vaishali	Malayalam	[24]
1989 (37th)	Anuradha Paudwal	"He Ek Reshami Gharate"	Kalat Nakalat	Marathi	[25]
1990 (38th) ⸸	Lata Mangeshkar	– [e]	Lekin...	Hindi	[26]
1991 (39th)	Vani Jairam	"Aanati Neeyaraa"	Swathi Kiranam	Telugu	[27]
1992 (40th)	S. Janaki	"Inji Iduppazhagi"	Thevar Magan	Tamil	[28]
1993 (41st)	Alka Yagnik	"Ghoonghat Ki Aad Se"	Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke	Hindi	[29]
1994 (42nd)	Swarnalatha	"Porale Ponnuthaaye"	Karuththamma	Tamil	[30]
1995 (43rd)	Anjali Marathe	"Bhui Bhegalali Khol"	Doghi	Marathi	[31]
1996 (44th)	K. S. Chithra	"Mana Madurai"	Minsara Kanavu	Tamil	[32]
1997 (45th)	K. S. Chithra	"Paayalein Chhun Mun"	Virasat	Hindi	[33]
1998 (46th)	Alka Yagnik	"Kuch Kuch Hota Hai"	Kuch Kuch Hota Hai	Hindi	[34]
1999 (47th)	Jayshree Dasgupta	"Hriday Amar Prokash Holo"	Paromitar Ek Din	Bengali	[35]
2000 (48th)	Bhavatharini Ilaiyaraaja	"Mayil Pola Ponnu Onnu"	Bharathi	Tamil	[36]
2001 (49th)	Sadhana Sargam	"Pattu Cholli"	Azhagi	Tamil	[37]
2002 (50th)	Shreya Ghoshal	"Bairi Piya"	Devdas	Hindi	[38]
2003 (51st)	Tarali Sarma	"Kimote Bhokoti"	Akashitorar Kothare	Assamese	[39]
2004 (52nd)	K. S. Chithra	"Ovvoru Pookalume"	Autograph	Tamil	[40]
2005 (53rd)	Shreya Ghoshal	"Dheere Jalna"	Paheli	Hindi	[41]
2006 (54th)	Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar	–	Antarnad	Konkani	[42]
2007 (55th)	Shreya Ghoshal	"Yeh Ishq Haaye"[43]	Jab We Met	Hindi	[44]
2008 (56th) ‡	Shreya Ghoshal	"Pherari Mon"	Antaheen [f]	Bengali	[45]
		"Jeev Dangla Gungla Rangla Asa"	Jogwa	Marathi
2009 (57th)	Nilanjana Sarkar	"Boye Jay Sudhu Bish"[46]	Houseful	Bengali	[47]
2010 (58th)	Rekha Bhardwaj	"Badi Dheere Jali"	Ishqiya	Hindi	[48]
2011 (59th) ‡	Roopa Ganguly	"Dure Kothao Dure Dure"	Abosheshey [g]	Bengali	[49]
		"Aaji Bijan Ghare"
2012 (60th)	Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar	"Palakein Naa Moondon"	Samhita	Marathi	[50]
2013 (61st)	Bela Shende	"Khurkhura"	Tuhya Dharma Koncha	Marathi	[51]
2014 (62nd)	Uthara Unnikrishnan	"Azhagu" [h]	Saivam	Tamil	[52][3]
2015 (63rd)	Monali Thakur	"Moh Moh Ke Dhage"	Dum Laga Ke Haisha	Hindi	[53]
2016 (64th)	Iman Chakraborty	"Tumi Jaake Bhalobasho"	Praktan	Bengali	[54]
2017 (65th)	Shashaa Tirupati	"Vaan Varuvaan"	Kaatru Veliyidai	Tamil	[55]
2018 (66th)	Bindhu Malini	"Mayavi Manave"	Nathicharami	Kannada	[56]
2019 (67th)	Savani Ravindra	"Raan Petala"	Bardo	Marathi	[57]
2020 (68th)	Nanjamma	"Kalakkatha" [i]	Ayyappanum Koshiyum	Malayalam	[58][4]
2021 (69th)	Shreya Ghoshal	"Maayava Chaayava"	Iravin Nizhal	Tamil[j]	[59]
				Telugu
2022 (70th)	Bombay Jayashri	"Chaayum Veyil"	Saudi Vellakka	Malayalam	[60]
2023 (71st)	Shilpa Rao	"Chaleya"	Jawan	Hindi	[61]

See also

• Bollywood portal
• Music portal
• Film portal

• List of Indian female playback singers

Notes

1. Denotes The year in which the film was censored by the Central Board of Film Certification.
2. Mukhopadhyay was awarded for two songs from two different films.
3. Jairam was awarded for her various renditions in the film Sankarabharanam.
4. K. S. Chithra was awarded for two different songs in the same film.
5. Mangeshkar was awarded for her various renditions in the film Lekin...
6. Ghoshal was awarded for two songs from two different films in two different languages.
7. Ganguly was awarded for two different songs in the same film.
8. Unnikrishnan is the youngest recipient of the award who won at age of 10.
9. Nanjamma is the oldest recipient of the award who won at age of 62.
10. Ghoshal was awarded for a bilingual song.