Sangita Kalanidhi (transl. Treasure of Music and Art) is the title awarded annually to a Carnatic musician by the Madras Music Academy.[1][2] 
From 1929 to 1941, the award did not exist. The award was conceived in 1942 by Academy President K. V. Krishnaswami Iyer and on 1 January 1943 all musicians who had presided over the annual conferences between 1929 and 1942 were awarded the title. This included 2 or 3 past presidents - Palamarneri Swaminatha Iyer (1931), probably Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer (1936) and Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar (1937) - but no posthumous award has been presented since then.[3] At times,  1946 is cited as the year of Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer's death, in which case he might have received the Sangita Kalanidhi in his lifetime.[4] 
  Sangeetha Kalanidhis
 Source(s):[5] 
    | Year | Recipient | Field | 
  | 2025 | R. K. Shriramkumar | Violinist | 
  | 2024 | T. M. Krishna | Vocalist | 
  | 2023 | Bombay Jayashri | Vocalist | 
  | 2022 | G. J. R. Krishnan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi | Violinists | 
   | 2021 | Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam | Mridangam player | 
   | 2020 | Neyveli Santhanagopalan | Vocalist, Composer | 
   | 2019 | S. Sowmya | Vocalist | 
   | 2018 | Aruna Sairam | Vocalist, Collaborator, Composer | 
  | 2017 | N. Ravikiran | Slide instrumentalist (Chitravina), Vocalist, Composer (Returned in 2024)[note 1] | 
   | 2016 | A. Kanyakumari | Violinist | 
   | 2015 | Sanjay Subrahmanyan | Vocalist | 
   | 2014 | T. V. Gopalakrishnan | Vocalist / Mridangam player | 
   | 2013 | Sudha Ragunathan | Vocalist | 
   | 2012 | Trichur V. Ramachandran | Vocalist | 
  | 2011 | Trichy Sankaran | Mridangam player | 
  | 2010 | Bombay Sisters (C. Saroja and C. Lalitha) | Vocalists | 
  | 2009 | Valayapatti A. R. Subramaniam | Thavil player | 
  | 2008 | A. K. C. Natarajan | Clarinet player | 
  | 2007 | Palghat R. Raghu | Mridangam player | 
  | 2006 | T. N. Seshagopalan | Vocalist, Veena Player, Harikatha artiste | 
  | 2005 | M. Chandrasekaran | Violinist | 
  | 2004 | Vellore G. Ramabhadran | Mridangam player | 
  | 2003 | T. V. Sankaranarayanan | Vocalist | 
  | 2002 | Sikkil Sisters (Neela & Kunjumani) | Flute players | 
  | 2001 | Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman | Mridangam player | 
  | 2000 | Vedavalli | Vocalist | 
  | 1999 | T. K. Govindarao | Vocalist | 
  | 1998 | Sheik Chinna Moulana | Nadaswaram player | 
  | 1997 | M. S. Gopalakrishnan | Violinist | 
  | 1996 | N. Ramani | Flautist | 
  | 1995 | R. K. Srikantan | Vocalist | 
  | 1994 | T. K. Murthy | Mridangam player | 
  | 1993 | Mani Krishnaswami | Vocalist | 
  | 1992 | Thanjavur K. P. Sivanandam | Veena Player | 
  | 1991 | Nedunuri Krishnamurthy | Vocalist | 
  | 1990 | D. K. Jayaraman | Vocalist | 
  | 1989 | Maharajapuram Santhanam | Vocalist | 
  | 1988 | T. Viswanathan | Flautist | 
  | 1987 | B. Rajam Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1986 | K. V. Narayanaswamy | Vocalist | 
  | 1985 | S. Ramanathan | Vocalist / Composer | 
  | 1984 | Doreswamy Iyengar | Veena player | 
  | 1983 | Sripada Pinakapani | Vocalist | 
  | 1982 | Embar S. Vijayaraghavachariar | Harikatha exponent | 
  | 1981 | T. M. Thiagarajan | Vocalist | 
  | 1980 | T. N. Krishnan | Violin player | 
  | 1979 | K. S. Narayanaswamy | Veena player | 
  | 1978 | Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna | Vocalist, Composer, Poet, Violinist / Viola player, Mridangam artist, Kanjira player, Collaborator , Music Director and Actor | 
  | 1977 | M. L. Vasanthakumari | Vocalist | 
  | 1976 | T. Brinda | Vocalist | 
  | 1975 | Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma | Composer / Vocalist | 
  | 1974 | No Award Given (Bicentennary of Muttuswami Dikshitar's birth)  [3] | N/A | 
  | 1973 | Balasaraswati | Bharatanatyam exponent | 
  | 1972 | Pichu Sambamoorthi | Musicologist | 
  | 1971 | Papanasam Sivan | Composer / Vocalist | 
  | 1970 | D. K. Pattammal | Vocalist | 
  | 1969 | Madurai Srirangam Iyengar | Vocalist | 
  | 1968 | M. S. Subbulakshmi | Vocalist | 
  | 1967 | Palghat Mani Iyer | Mridangam player - (Returned in 2024 by his son T.R. Rajamani)[note 2] | 
  | 1966 | No Award Given (Bicentennary of Tyagaraja's birth)  [3] | N/A | 
  | 1965 | Alathur Srinivasa Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1964 | Alathur Sivasubramanya Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1963 | Budalur Krishnamurthi Sastrigal | Gottuvadhyam player | 
  | 1962 | Papa Venkataramaiah | Violinist | 
  | 1961 | Thiruvidaimarudur Veerusami Pillai | Nagaswaram player | 
  | 1960 | T. K. Jayarama Iyer | Violinist | 
  | 1959 | Madurai Mani Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1958 | G. N. Balasubramaniam | Vocalist / Composer | 
  | 1957 | Chowdiah | Violinist | 
  | 1956 | Thiruveezhimizhalai Subramanya Pillai | Nagaswaram Player | 
  | 1955 | Marungapuri Gopalakrishna Iyer | Violinist | 
  | 1954 | Chittoor Subramaniam Pillai | Vocalist | 
  | 1953 | Thirupampuram N. Swaminatha Pillai | Flautist | 
  | 1952 | Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer | Veena player | 
  | 1951 | Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar | Vocalist | 
  | 1950 | Karur Chinnaswamy Iyer | Violinist | 
  | 1949 | Mudicondan Venkatarama Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1948 | Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai | Violinist | 
  | 1947 | Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1946 | Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1945 | No Award Given (Centenary of Tyagaraja's death)  [3] | N/A | 
  | 1944 | T. L. Venkatarama Iyer | Musicologist | 
  | 1943 | Palladam Sanjiva Rao | Flautist | 
  | 1942 | Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavatar | Vocalist | 
  | 1941 | Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu | Violin player | 
  | 1940 | Kallidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavatar | Harikatha exponent / Composer | 
  | 1939 | Musiri Subramania Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1938 | Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar | Vocalist | 
  | 1937 | Agaramangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar | Harikatha exponent | 
  | 1936 | Umayalapuram Swaminatha Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1935 | Mysore Vasudevachar | Composer / Vocalist | 
  | 1934 | T. S. Sabesha Iyer | Vocalist | 
  | 1933 | K. Ponniah Pillai | Composer / Pedagogue | 
  | 1932 | Tiger Varadachariar | Vocalist / Composer / Pedagogue | 
  | 1931 | Pazhamaneri Swaminatha Iyer | Vocalist / Violinist | 
  | 1930 | Muthiah Bhagavatar | Composer / Vocalist / Harikatha exponent / Gottuvadhyam player | 
  | 1929 | T. V. Subba Rao and M. S. Ramaswamy Iyer | Musicologists | 
 References
 Notes
   - ^ In protest against the Academy's decision to confer T M Krishna with the award for the year 2024[6] 
- ^ In protest against the Academy's decision to confer T M Krishna with the award for the year 2024[7] 
  Sources
  External links