# Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor

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. The awardees are decided by a jury constituted every year. They are announced by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and are presented by the Chief Minister.
Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the government has presented 54 Best Actor awards to 35 actors. The recipients receive a figurine, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹100,000 (US$1,200). 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). In 1981, Nedumudi Venu received the honour for his performance in various films released that year. As of 2024, Mammootty and Mohanlal are the most honoured actors with six awards each. Two actors—Bharat Gopy and Murali—have won the award four times. Prithviraj Sukumaran is the youngest recipient at age 24 for Vaasthavam (2006); he replaced Mohanlal, who held this distinction for 20 years from 1986. 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 Prithviraj Sukumaran for Aadujeevitham (2024).

## Winners

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