# 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 54 Best Female Playback Singer awards to 31 different female playback singers.
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$580) in 2012, and ₹2 lakh (US$2,300) in 2022. Although the Indian film industry produces films in more than 20 languages and dialects, the female playback singers who have received the 'Rajat Kamal' awards have recorded their renditions in nine major languages: Tamil (fifteen awards), Hindi (fourteen 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, and Nanjamma is the oldest recipient who received the award at the age of sixty-two. 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 Bombay Jayashri who will be honoured at the 70th National Film Awards for the song "Chaayum Veyil" from the Malayalam film Saudi Vellakka.

## 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

| Wins | Recipient(s) | Years |
| 6 | K. S. Chithra | 1985, 1986, 1988, 1996, 1997, 2004 |
| 5 | P. Susheela | 1968, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1983 |
| 5 | Shreya Ghoshal | 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2021 |
| 4 | S. Janaki | 1977, 1980, 1984, 1992 |

## Recipients

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