The Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were last given out on 13 February 2026 at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai, covering Tamil films released from 2016 to 2022, along with State Television Awards for 2014 to 2022. The lists were announced in late January 2026, Moviecrow and DT Next reported, ending a gap of several years in which no film awards had been presented.
The awards are the state’s own honours for Tamil cinema, separate from the National Film Awards and from the Kalaimamani. They are handled by the Information and Public Relations Department rather than the culture department, and they tend to arrive in batches. Here is how they work and who won in the latest round.
What the awards are
The department’s 2021-22 policy note says the state has given film awards since 1968 to the best Tamil feature films, actors, actresses and technicians. It set out the prize structure then in force:
| Award | Prize (2021-22 policy note) |
|---|---|
| Best film, first prize | Rs 2,00,000 |
| Best film, second prize | Rs 1,00,000 |
| Best film, third prize | Rs 75,000 |
| Special prize for best film | Rs 75,000 |
| Special prize for a film portraying women positively | Rs 1,25,000 |
| 31 individual categories (actor, director, music and others) | Gold medal of five sovereigns, memento and certificate |
Reports on the 2026 round gave the same cash amounts for the three best-film prizes. On the gold medal they differ: Filmibeat described a one-sovereign medal, while the policy note says five sovereigns. If the exact weight matters to you, check with the department.
How the awards come in batches
The same policy note admitted that awards had not been presented for several years. The pattern since then has been to clear backlogs in one go:
- September 2022: film and television awards for 2009 to 2014 were announced and presented at Kalaivanar Arangam, DT Next reported. About 160 people received gold medals for films, and 314 received television awards.
- January and February 2026: film awards for 2016 to 2022 and television awards for 2014 to 2022 were announced, then presented on 13 February.
The public documents we found do not set out who sits on the selection committees or how films are entered. As of 18 October 2026 we found no announcement of awards for 2023 or later after the change of government in May.
Who won in the 2016 to 2022 round
The table below lists the first-prize film and the lead acting awards for each year, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter India.
| Year | Best film (first prize) | Best actor | Best actress |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Maanagaram | Vijay Sethupathi | Keerthy Suresh |
| 2017 | Aramm | Karthi | Nayanthara |
| 2018 | Pariyerum Perumal | Dhanush | Jyothika |
| 2019 | Asuran | R. Parthiban | Manju Warrier |
| 2020 | Koozhangal | Suriya | Aparna Balamurali |
| 2021 | Jai Bhim | Arya | Lijomol Jose |
| 2022 | Gargi | Vikram Prabhu | Sai Pallavi |
Directors honoured included Lokesh Kanagaraj (2016), Pushkar-Gayathri (2017), Mari Selvaraj (2018), Sudha Kongara (2020), Tha. Se. Gnanavel (2021) and Gautham Ramachandran (2022). Music awards went to, among others, Santhosh Narayanan (2018) and A.R. Rahman (2022).
Why the awards matter to the industry
The awards cover far more than the lead roles. Besides the three best-film prizes and special prizes, each year’s list recognises villains, comedians, supporting actors, lyricists, playback singers, cinematographers, editors, art directors and stunt coordinators, according to The Hollywood Reporter India. The 2016 list alone carried 11 headline categories, including a special prize for a film on women’s empowerment, Moviecrow reported.
The long gaps cut the other way. When awards for 2016 arrive in 2026, a decade late, some technicians and actors have moved on, and the prize money set years earlier has lost value. Whether the new government will clear the 2023 to 2025 films, and on what schedule, had not been announced when we checked.
Related state support for films
The film awards sit alongside two other schemes described in the 2021-22 policy note:
- Subsidy for low-budget quality films: Rs 7 lakh for each selected film. The note said Rs 10.43 crore had gone to 149 producers for films released between 2007 and 2014, and a committee was then choosing films from 2015 to 2017.
- Small screen awards: Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh for the best mega serials, gold pendants of three sovereigns for individual categories, and Rs 1 lakh each for achiever and lifetime achiever awards.
Quick answers
When were the last Tamil Nadu State Film Awards given?
On 13 February 2026 at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai, for films from 2016 to 2022.
Which film won best film for 2021?
Jai Bhim, which also won best actress for Lijomol Jose.
Do the awards carry cash?
The best-film prizes do: Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 75,000. Individual winners get a gold medal, memento and certificate.
Which department runs them?
The Information and Public Relations Department of the Tamil Nadu government.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Information and Public Relations Department Policy Note 2021-22 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- TN State Film Awards announced: check full list (DT Next, 2022)
- Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 2016 to 2022 winners (The Hollywood Reporter India)
- Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for 2016-2022 announced (Moviecrow)
- Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 2016-2022 full winners list (Filmibeat)
- Manisha Yadav on winning best supporting actress (DT Next / IANS)
