R Vairamuthu Selected for 60th Jnanpith Award

Renowned Tamil poet, lyricist, and author R. Vairamuthu has been selected for the 60th edition (2025) of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor.

This was announced by the Bharatiya Jnanpith on March 14, 2026. He is being honored for his outstanding contributions to Tamil literature, creative depth, and distinctive poetic style.

R. Vairamuthu is considered one of the most influential poets and lyricists in contemporary Tamil literature.

Born on July 13, 1953, in Tamil Nadu, R. Vairamuthu is considered one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Tamil literature. In his literary career spanning over four decades, he has played a significant role in enriching Tamil literature.

Vairamuthu has written over 37 books to date. His works deeply express social, cultural, and emotional themes. His works earned him a wide readership and international recognition. His major works include:

1.Kallikattu Ethikasam

2.Karuvaachi Kavyam

3.Tanni Desam

4.Moondram Ulagu Por (The Third World War)

Major Awards Received by R. Vairamuthu

During his long literary and film career, Vairamuthu has received many prestigious honors. His major awards include:

1.National Film Award (Best Song) – 7 times

2.Padma Shri – 2003

3.Padma Bhushan – 2014

4.Sahitya Akademi Award – for the novel Kallikattu Ethikasam

5.Kalaimamani Award – by the Government of Tamil Nadu

Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee

The decision for the 60th Jnanpith Award was taken at a meeting of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee.

The committee was chaired by renowned writer Pratibha Ray. The committee's key members included Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Suranjan Das, A. Renowned literary figures and scholars such as Krishna Rao, Prafulla Shiledar, Keshubhai Desai, Janaki Prasad Sharma, K. Srinivasa Rao, and Maheshwar were included.

According to the selection committee, Tamil is one of India's richest literary languages, but very few Tamil writers have received this honor. The first two Tamil Jnanpith winners were P. V. Akhilan (1975) and D. Jayakanthan (2002). Now, R. Vairamuthu is the third Tamil writer to receive this prestigious honor.

What is the Jnanpith Award?

The Jnanpith Award is India's most prestigious and highest literary honor. Established in 1961 and first presented in 1965, the Jnanpith Award is India's oldest and highest literary honor.

The award is given for outstanding literary contributions in Indian languages ​​and English. The Jnanpith Award carries a cash prize of ₹1.1 million, a bronze statue of Goddess Saraswati, and a citation.

Previous Jnanpith Award Winners

58th Jnanpith Award (2023) - The President presented the 58th Jnanpith Award for the year 2023 to Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and renowned poet-lyricist Gulzar.

59th Jnanpith Award (2024) - Vinod Kumar Shukla was the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award (2024), making him the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive this honor.

First Jnanpith Award - The first Jnanpith Award was given to the renowned Malayalam poet G. Sankara Kurup in 1965 for his famous poetry collection "Odakkuzhal" (The Bamboo Flute).

First Woman to Receive the Jnanpith Award - The first woman to receive the Jnanpith Award was the renowned Bengali writer Ashapurna Devi. She was given this honor in 1976 for her novel "Pratham Pratisruti."