CHENNAI: The Music Academy on Sunday announced its prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award to violinist RK Shriramkumar for the year 2025.

According to N Murali, president of The Music Academy, Bharatanatyam artiste Urmila Satyanarayana has been chosen for the Nritya Kalanidhi award.

The release described Shriramkumar as "one of the best-known violinists in the art," and that he comes from a family from Karnataka's Rudrapatnam that has given renowned musicians.

He has accompanied veterans including Semmangudi R Srinivasa Iyer and MS Subbulakshmi and is known for his wide repertoire, in-depth lecture demonstrations, tuning of composition and composing of songs, it said.

Among others, the academy announced the Sangita Kala Acharya Award to Shyamala Venkateswaran and Thanjavur R Govindarajan.

Kathakali expert Madambi Subramania Namboothiri and the veena duo of JT Jeyeraaj Krishnan and Jaysri Jeyeraaj Krishnan have been named for the TTK Award. Prof CA Sridhara has been picked for the Musicologist Award, the release said.

The Sangita Kalanidhi awardee will preside over the sessions of the 99th Annual Conference and Concerts of The Music Academy to be held between December 15, 2025, and January 1, 2026. He will receive the award, together with others, at the Sadas on January 1, 2026, it said. The Nritya Kalanidhi awardee will be receiving the award on January 3, 2026.