# Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay

Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honors Kannada language films.

## Superlative Winners

| • Sunil Kumar Desai | 3 Awards |
| • Girish Kasaravalli | 4 Awards |
| • Puttanna Kanagal | 6 Awards |

## Award winners

The first recipient of the award is S. R. Puttanna Kanagal. For six times, multiple writers were awarded for their work in a single film; Shankar Nag and Mariam Jetpurwala for Minchina Ota (1979), Singeetam Srinivasa Rao and Chi. Udayashankar for Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma (1985, first time) and Anand (1986, second time), S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu and Ramani for Kothigalu Saar Kothigalu (2001), Prakash and M. S. Abhishek for Rishi (2004), Shashank and Raghu Kovi for Krishna Leela (2015).
The following is a complete list of award winners and the name of the films for which they won.
| Year | Winner | Film |
| 2019 | Darling Krishna | Love Mocktail |
| 2018 | P. Sheshadri | Mookajjiya Kanasugalu |
| 2017 | Venkat Bharadwaj | Kempirve |
| 2016 | Arvind Sastry | Kahi |
| 2015 | Shashank | Krishna Leela |
| 2015 | Raghu Kovi | Krishna Leela |
| 2014 | P. Sheshadri | Vidaaya |
| 2013 | Jayatheertha | Tony |
| 2012 | K. Y. Narayanaswamy | Kalavu |
| 2011 | Ravindra H. P. Das | I Am Sorry Mathe Banni Preethsona |
| 2010-11 | Agni Shridhar | Thamassu |
| 2009-10 | Guruprasad | Eddelu Manjunatha |
| 2008-09 | Duniya Soori | Junglee |
| 2007-08 | Girish Kasaravalli | Gulabi Talkies |
| 2006-07 | Duniya Soori | Duniya |
| 2005-06 | Prem | Jogi |
| 2004-05 | Prakash | Rishi |
| 2004-05 | M. S. Abhishek | Rishi |
| 2003-04 | Kavitha Lankesh | Preethi Prema Pranaya |
| 2002-03 | Kavitha Lankesh | Bimba |
| 2001-02 | S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu | Kothigalu Saar Kothigalu |
| 2001-02 | Ramani | Kothigalu Saar Kothigalu |
| 2000-01 | Ashok Patil | Shaapa |
| 1999-2000 | D. Rajendra Babu | Habba |
| 1998-99 | Sunil Kumar Desai | Prathyartha |
| 1997-98 | D. Rajendra Babu | Jodi Hakki |
| 1996-97 | Dinesh Baboo | Amrutha Varshini |
| 1995-96 | Upendra | Om |
| 1994-95 | H. S. Rajashekar | Curfew |
| 1993-94 | Sunil Kumar Desai | Nishkarsha |
| 1992-93 | S. Surendranath | Aathanka |
| 1991-92 | Abdul Rehman Pasha | Chukki Chandrama |
| 1990-91 | Asrar Abid | Krama |
| 1989-90 | Girish Kasaravalli | Mane |
| 1988-89 | Sunil Kumar Desai | Tarka |
| 1987-88 | T. S. Nagabharana | Aasphota |
| 1986-87 | Singeetam Srinivasa Rao | Anand |
| 1986-87 | Chi. Udayashankar | Anand |
| 1985-86 | Singeetam Srinivasa Rao | Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma |
| 1985-86 | Chi. Udayashankar | Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma |
| 1984-85 | Vasanth Mokashi | Accident |
| 1983-84 | Puttanna Kanagal | Amrutha Ghalige |
| 1982-83 | Mani Ratnam | Pallavi Anu Pallavi |
| 1981-82 | S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu | Antha |
| 1980-81 | Girish Kasaravalli | Mooru Daarigalu |
| 1979-80 | Mariyam Jetpurwala | Minchina Ota |
| 1979-80 | Shankar Nag | Minchina Ota |
| 1978-79 | Kashinath | Aparichita |
| 1977-78 | Girish Kasaravalli | Ghatashraddha |
| 1976-77 | P. Lankesh | Pallavi |
| 1975-76 | K. Shivaram Karanth | Chomana Dudi |
| 1974-75 | Puttanna Kanagal | Upasane |
| 1973-74 | Siddalingaiah | Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu |
| 1972-73 | Puttanna Kanagal | Naagarahaavu |
| 1971-72 | Siddalingaiah | Bangaarada Manushya |
| 1970-71 | Puttanna Kanagal | Sharapanjara |
| 1969-70 | Puttanna Kanagal | Gejje Pooje |
| 1968-69 | Geethapriya | Mannina Maga |
| 1967-68 | Puttanna Kanagal | Belli Moda |