# National Film Award for Best Kannada Feature Film

The National Film Award for Best Kannada Feature Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus). Since the 70th National Film Awards, the name was changed to "Best Kannada Feature Film".
The National Film Awards, established in 1954, are the most prominent film awards in India that merit the best of the Indian cinema. The ceremony also presents awards for films in various regional languages.
Awards for films in seven regional language (Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu) started from 2nd National Film Awards which were presented on 21 December 1955. Three awards of "President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film", "Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Feature Film" and "Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film" were instituted. The latter two certificate awards were discontinued from 15th National Film Awards (1967).
Directed by H. L. N. Simha, the 1954 film Bedara Kannappa, received the first Certificate of Merit. The film was based on the folktale of the hunter Kannappa who proves his extreme devotion to Lord Shiva by plucking out both of his eyes. However, the first "President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Kannada" was only awarded at the 5th National Film Awards ceremony held on 16 April 1958 to the 1957 film Premada Putri. The film was directed by R. Nagendra Rao and produced under his banner R. N. R. Pictures. Following is the list of Silver Lotus Award (Rajat Kamal) recipient films produced in Kannada language.

## Winners

Award includes 'Rajat Kamal' (Silver Lotus Award) and cash prize. Following are the award winners over the years:
Awards legends :
| * | President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film |
| * | Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Feature Film |
| * | Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film |
| * | Certificate of Merit for the Best Feature Film |
| * | Indicates a joint award for that year |
List of award films, showing the year (award ceremony), producer(s) and director(s) :
| Year | Film(s) | Producer(s) | Director(s) |
| 1954 (2nd) | Bedara Kannappa | Gubbi Karnataka Productions | H. L. N. Simha |
| 1955 (3rd) | Mahakavi Kalidasa | Lalitakala Film Private Ltd. | K. R. Seetharama Sastry |
| 1956 (4th) | Bhakta Vijaya | Jagannath Productions | A. K. Pattabhi |
| 1957 (5th) | Premada Putri | R. N. R. Pictures | R. Nagendra Rao |
| 1958 (6th) | School Master | B. R. Panthulu | B. R. Panthulu |
| 1959 (7th) | Jagajyothi Basveshwara | G. S. S. Murthy | T. V. Singh Thakur |
| 1960 (8th) | Bhakta Kanakadasa | D. R. Naidu | Y. R. Swamy |
| 1961 (9th) | Kittur Chennamma | Padmini Pictures | B. R. Panthulu |
| 1962 (10th) | Nanda Deepa | • U. S. Vadhiraj • U. Jawahar | M. R. Vittal |
| 1963 (11th) | Santha Thukaram | B. Radhakrishna | Sundar Rao Nadkarni |
| 1963 (11th) | Mangala Muhurta | U. Subba Rao | M. R. Vittal |
| 1964 (12th) | Chandavalliya Thota | Pals & Co. | T. V. Singh Thakur |
| 1964 (12th) | Nava Jeevana | • U. S. Vadhiraj • U. Jawahar • Bharathi Chitra | P. S. Moorthy |
| 1964 (12th) | Mane Aliya | A. Subba Rao | S. K. A. Chari |
| 1965 (13th) | Sathya Harishchandra | K. V. Reddy | Hunsur Krishnamurthy |
| 1965 (13th) | Miss Leelavathi | K. S. Jagan Nath | M. R. Vittal |
| 1965 (13th) | Maduve Madi Nodu | • B. Nagi Reddy • Aluri Chakrapani | Hunsur Krishnamurthy |
| 1966 (14th) | Sandhya Raga | A. C. Narasimha Murthy | • A. C. Narasimha Murthy • S. K. Bhagavan |
| 1967 (15th) | Bangarada Hoovu | B. A. Arasu Kumar | B. A. Arasu Kumar |
| 1968 (16th) | Mannina Maga | • M. V. Vemkatachallam • P. Alexander | Geethapriya |
| 1969 (17th) | Gejje Pooje | Chithra Jyothi | Puttanna Kanagal |
| 1970 (18th) | Naguva Hoovu | R. N. Sudarshan | R. N. K. Prasad |
| 1971 (19th) | Vamsha Vriksha | G. V. Iyer | • B. V. Karanth • Girish Karnad |
| 1972 (20th) | Sharapanjara | C. S. Rajah | Puttanna Kanagal |
| 1973 (21st) | Abachurina Post Office | Patre C. Vinayak | N. Lakshminarayan |
| 1974 (22nd) | Kankana | Hamzu Jagalur Imam for Mayura Films Pvt. Ltd | M. B. S. Prasad |
| 1975 (23rd) | Hamsageethe | M/s. Anantha Lakshmi Films | G. V. Iyer |
| 1976 (24th) | Pallavi | K. S. Indira Lankesh | P. Lankesh |
| 1977 (25th) | Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane | • B. M. Venkatesh • Chandulal Jain | • Girish Karnad • B. V. Karanth |
| 1978 (26th) | Ondanondu Kaladalli | L. N. Combines | Girish Karnad |
| 1979 (27th) | Arivu | K. R. Suresh | Katte Ramachandra |
| 1980 (28th) | No Award | No Award | No Award |
| 1981 (29th) | Bara | M. S. Sathyu | M. S. Sathyu |
| 1982 (30th) | Phaniyamma | Prema Karanth | Prema Karanth |
| 1983 (31st) | Banker Margayya | • T. S. Narasimhan • B. S. Somasundar | T. S. Nagabharana |
| 1984 (32nd) | Bandhana | Rohini Pictures | Rajendra Singh Babu |
| 1985 (33rd) | Bettada Hoovu | Parvathamma Rajkumar | N. Lakshminarayan |
| 1986 (34th) | Shankha Nada | Umesh Kulkarni | Umesh Kulkarni |
| 1987 (35th) | Kadina Benki | M/s Manasa Arts | Suresh Heblikar |
| 1988 (36th) | Bannada Vesha | Doordarshan | Girish Kasaravalli |
| 1989 (37th) | Mane | • Apoorva Chitra • NFDC | Girish Kasaravalli |
| 1990 (38th) | Muthina Haara | Rajendra Singh Babu | Rajendra Singh Babu |
| 1991 (39th) | Mysore Mallige | Srihari L. Khodey | T. S. Nagabharana |
| 1992 (40th) | Harakeya Kuri | B. V. Radha | Lalitha Ravee |
| 1993 (41st) | Chinnari Mutha | • Nagini Nagabharana • Saroja • Nandakumar | T. S. Nagabharana |
| 1994 (42nd) | Kotreshi Kanasu | G. Nandakumar | Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar |
| 1995 (43rd) | Kraurya | Nirmala Chitgopi | Girish Kasaravalli |
| 1996 (44th) | America America | G. Nandakumar | Nagathihalli Chandrashekar |
| 1997 (45th) | Mungarina Minchu | • Jai Jagadish • R. Dushyanth Singh | Rajendra Singh Babu |
| 1998 (46th) | Hoomale | K. S. Usha Rao | Nagathihalli Chandrashekar |
| 1999 (47th) | Kanooru Heggadithi | • H. G. Narayana • C. M. Narayana • I. P. Mallegowda | Girish Karnad |
| 2000 (48th) | Mathadana | • H. G. Narayana • I. P. Mallegowda | T. N. Seetharam |
| 2001 (49th) | Atithi | Mitrachitra | P. Sheshadri |
| 2002 (50th) | Singaaravva | Sandesh Nagaraj | T. S. Nagabharana |
| 2003 (51st) | Preethi Prema Pranaya | Kavitha Lankesh | Kavitha Lankesh |
| 2004 (52nd) | Beru | Mitrachitra | P. Sheshadri |
| 2005 (53rd) | Thaayi | Prameela Joshai | Baraguru Ramachandrappa |
| 2006 (54th) | Kaada Beladingalu | • K. M. Veeresh • K. N. Siddalingaiah • B. S. Lingadevaru | B. S. Lingadevaru |
| 2007 (55th) | Gulabi Talkies | Basant Kumar Patil | Girish Kasaravalli |
| 2008 (56th) | Vimukthi | Navyachitra Creations | P. Sheshadri |
| 2009 (57th) | Kanasemba Kudureyaneri | Basant Kumar Patil | Girish Kasaravalli |
| 2010 (58th) | Puttakkana Highway | • Shylaja Nag • Prakash Raj | B. Suresha |
| 2011 (59th) | Koormavatara | Basant Kumar Patil | Girish Kasaravalli |
| 2012 (60th) | Bharath Stores | Basant Productions | P. Sheshadri |
| 2013 (61st) | December-1 | Basant Productions | P. Sheshadri |
| 2014 (62nd) | Harivu | Om Studio | Manjunath S. (Mansore) |
| 2015 (63rd) | Thithi | Prospect Productions | Raam Reddy |
| 2016 (64th) | Reservation | Thotadamane | Nikhil Manjoo |
| 2017 (65th) | Hebbet Ramakka | Puttaraju S. A. | N. R. Nanjunde Gowda |
| 2018 (66th) | Nathicharami | Tejaswini Enterprises | Manjunath S. (Mansore) |
| 2019 (67th) | Akshi | Kaladegula Studio | Manoj Kumar |
| 2020 (68th) | Dollu | Wadeeyar Movies | Sagar Puranik |
| 2023 (69th) | 777 Charlie | G. S. Gupta, Rakshit Shetty | Kiranraj K. |
| 2024 (70th) | KGF: Chapter 2 | Hombale Films | Prashanth Neel |