# Kalidas Samman

The Kalidas Samman (Hindi: कालिदास सम्मान) is an arts award presented annually by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India. The Kalidas Samman was first awarded in 1980. It was initially conferred in alternate years in four fields: Classical Music, Classical Dance, Theatre and Plastic Arts. From 1986-87 to 2008-09, the awards were presented in all four fields in most years, thereafter reverting to one person per year.

## Recipients

The recipients of the Kalidas Samman:
| Year | Name | Field |
| 1980–81 | Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer | Classical Music |
| 1980–81 | Mallikarjun Mansur | Classical Music |
| 1981–82 | K. G. Subramanyan | Plastic Arts |
| 1982–83 | Sombhu Mitra | Theatre |
| 1983–84 | Rukmini Devi Arundale | Classical Dance |
| 1984–85 | Kumar Gandharva | Classical Music |
| 1985–86 | Ram Kumar | Plastic Arts |
| 1986–87 | Zia Mohiuddin Dagar | Classical Music |
| 1986–87 | Birju Maharaj | Classical Dance |
| 1986–87 | Ebrahim Alkazi | Theatre |
| 1986–87 | Narayan Shridhar Bendre | Plastic Arts |
| 1987–88 | Ravi Shankar | Classical Music |
| 1987–88 | V. Satyanarayana Sarma | Classical Dance |
| 1987–88 | P.L. Deshpande | Theatre |
| 1987–88 | M.F. Husain | Plastic Arts |
| 1988–89 | M.S. Subbulakshmi | Classical Music |
| 1988–89 | Kelucharan Mohapatra | Classical Dance |
| 1988–89 | Tripti Mitra | Theatre |
| 1988–89 | Tyeb Mehta | Plastic Arts |
| 1989–90 | Vilayat Khan | Classical Music |
| 1989–90 | Guru Bipin Singh | Classical Dance |
| 1989–90 | Habib Tanvir | Theatre |
| 1989–90 | Vasudeo S. Gaitonde | Plastic Arts |
| 1990–91 | Padma Subramanyam | Classical Dance |
| 1990–91 | Vijay Tendulkar | Theatre |
| 1991–92 | Ali Akbar Khan | Classical Music |
| 1991–92 | Ram Narayan | Classical Music |
| 1991–92 | Vempati Chinna Satyam | Classical Dance |
| 1991–92 | Vijaya Mehta | Theatre |
| 1991–92 | Jagdish Swaminathan | Plastic Arts |
| 1992–93 | Ramankutty Nair | Classical Dance |
| 1992–93 | Ammannur Madhava Chakyar | Classical Dance |
| 1992–93 | Badal Sarkar | Theatre |
| 1992–93 | Syed Haider Raza | Plastic Arts |
| 1993–94 | Shanta Rao | Classical Dance |
| 1993–94 | B.V. Karanth | Theatre |
| 1994–95 | Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale | Classical Music |
| 1994–95 | Kavalam Narayan Panikkar | Theatre |
| 1995–96 | Alla Rakha | Classical Instrumental |
| 1995–96 | Sitara Devi | Classical Dance |
| 1995–96 | Manna Dey | Classical Vocal |
| 1996–97 | Kishan Maharaj | Classical Music |
| 1996–97 | Mrinalini Sarabhai | Classical Dance |
| 1996–97 | Shriram Lagoo | Theatre |
| 1996–97 | Sheila Bhatia | Theatre |
| 1996–97 | Bhupen Khakhar | Plastic Arts |
| 1997–98 | Pandit Jasraj | Classical Music |
| 1997–98 | Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma | Classical Dance |
| 1997–98 | Tapas Sen | Theatre |
| 1997–98 | Akbar Padamsee | Plastic Arts |
| 1998–99 | D. K. Pattammal | Classical Music |
| 1998–99 | Kalanidhi Narayanan | Classical Dance |
| 1998–99 | Girish Karnad | Theatre |
| 1998–99 | Arpita Singh | Plastic Arts |
| 1999–2000 | Hariprasad Chaurasia | Classical Music |
| 1999–2000 | K. P. Kittappa Pillai | Classical Dance |
| 1999–2000 | Satyadev Dubey | Theatre |
| 1999–2000 | Francis Newton Souza | Plastic Arts |
| 2000–01 | M. Balamuralikrishna | Classical Music |
| 2000–01 | Rohini Bhate | Classical Dance |
| 2000–01 | Zohra Sehgal | Theatre |
| 2000–01 | Sankho Chaudhuri | Plastic Arts |
| 2001–02 | Sumati Mutatkar | Classical Music |
| 2001–02 | Yamini Krishnamurthy | Classical Dance |
| 2001–02 | K.V. Subbanna | Theatre |
| 2001–02 | Jogen Chowdhury | Plastic Arts |
| 2002–03 | Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar | Classical Music |
| 2002–03 | Kumudini Lakhia | Classical Dance |
| 2002–03 | Khalid Chaudhary | Theatre |
| 2002–03 | Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh | Plastic Arts |
| 2003–04 | V.G. Jog | Classical Music |
| 2003–04 | Chandralekha | Classical Dance |
| 2003–04 | Gursharan Singh (playwright) | Theatre |
| 2003–04 | Himmat Shah | Plastic Arts |
| 2004–05 | Prabha Atre | Classical Music |
| 2004–05 | Rajkumar Singhajit Singh | Classical Dance |
| 2004–05 | Devendra Raj Ankur | Theatre |
| 2004–05 | Nagji Patel | Plastic Arts |
| 2005–06 | Zakir Hussain | Classical Music |
| 2005–06 | Kanak Rele | Classical Dance |
| 2005–06 | Ratan Thiyam | Theatre |
| 2005–06 | Manjit Bawa | Plastic Arts |
| 2006–07 | Puttaraj Gawai | Classical Music |
| 2006–07 | Sonal Mansingh | Classical Dance |
| 2006–07 | Vimal Lath | Theatre |
| 2006–07 | Shanti Dave | Plastic Arts |
| 2007–08 | Pt. Balwantrai Bhatt 'Bhavrang' | Classical Music |
| 2007–08 | C.V. Chandrasekhar | Classical Dance |
| 2007–08 | Babasaheb Purandare | Theatre |
| 2007–08 | Satish Gujral | Plastic Arts |
| 2008–09 | Chhannulal Mishra | Classical Music |
| 2008–09 | Jairma Patel | Plastic Arts |
| 2008–09 | Kalamandalam Gopi | Classical Dance |
| 2009–10 | Saroja Vaidyanathan | Classical Dance |
| 2009–10 | N. Rajam | Classical Music |
| 2010–11 | Anupam Kher | Theatre |
| 2012–13 | Keshav Rao Sadashiv Shastri Musalgaonkar | |
| 2014–15 | Raj Bisaria | Theatre |
| 2015–16 | Bansi Kaul | Theatre |
| 2015–16 | Robin David | Sculpture Arts |
| 2016–17 | Ram Gopal Bajaj | Theatre |
| 2017–18 | Lakshmi Viswanathan | |
| 2018 | Anjolie Ela Menon | Visual Arts |
| 2018 | Surendra Verma | Theatre |
| 2020 | Aruna Sairam | Indian Music (Carnatic Music) |
| 2022 | Pt. Venkatesh Kumar | Classical Music |
| 2024 | Raghupati Bhat | Ganjifa Arts |