Karnataka Theatre Academy Announces 2026 27 Annual Awards

Karnataka Theatre Academy has announced its annual awards.

Mukhya Mantri Chandru will receive the lifetime achievement honour.

Twenty five theatre artists have been selected for annual awards.

Karnataka Theatre Academy Honours Theatre Personalities

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Theatre Academy has announced its annual awards for 2026 27, recognising artists who have made notable contributions to theatre across different parts of the state.

Veteran actor Dr Mukhya Mantri Chandru has been chosen for the Lifetime Theatre Achievement Award. The honour includes a cash prize of Rs 50,000 along with a Nataraja idol and a citation.

The academy has also selected 25 theatre personalities for its annual awards. The recipients represent several districts and have contributed to different aspects of Karnataka’s theatre tradition.

The annual award recipients are Vishweshwari Basavalingayya Hiremath from Dharwad, Ramesh Tippanna Chitragar from Ilkal in Bagalkot, Shivananda Tagadur from Bengaluru, R Ramakrishna Channayya from Devanahalli, Anasuya Revanasiddhayya Hosurmath from Lakkundi, and Ayyanna Swamy Hiremath from Kalaburagi.

The list also includes Fajiyamma HS from Sagara, Mallappa Bharamappa Kuri from Koppal, KB Swamy from Mandya, Sushila Hegde Mooderu from Siddapur in Uttara Kannada, Rajkumar S from Bengaluru, Dr M Ganesh Begur from Sagara, Pradeep Chandra Kutpadi from Udupi and NT Krishnappa from Bengaluru.

Other awardees are Purushottam Handyal from Ballari, Dr SV Sushma from Bengaluru, Nanda Halemane from Mysuru, Srinivas from Ramanagara, YN Uma from Yelahanka in Bengaluru, Gadigeyya B Hiremath from Bailhongal, G Bharathi from Hosligi in Vijayanagara, B Savitramma from Davanagere, MC Shivarudrappa from Tumakuru, Venugopal K from Bengaluru and NM Lakshmaiah from Malur in Kolar.

The academy has also announced recipients for several endowment awards associated with prominent names from Karnataka’s theatre and cultural field.

The SV Venkatasubbayya Endowment Award will go to BG Sridhar from Bengaluru. The ER Arishinagodi Endowment Award has been awarded to Ashfaq Hussain HA Jagirdar from Vijayapura.

Dr M Chandrappa from T Narasipura in Mysuru has been selected for the K Ramachandraiah Endowment Award, while Dayananda Ch Belagi from Gadag will receive the Malathishree Mysuru Endowment Award.

The Nataratna Chindodi Veerappa Endowment Award will go to Gangadhar Reddy BR from Kunigal in Tumakuru. The Padma Shri Chindodi Leela Endowment Award has been given to YN Shivanna from Tumakuru.

The Cultured Comedian K Hirannaiah Endowment Award will be presented to Chandramma from Sanehalli in Chitradurga.

The awards recognise the wide range of artists who continue to contribute to Karnataka’s theatre culture. With recipients coming from urban centres as well as smaller towns and districts, the selection highlights the broad reach of the state’s theatre community.