The Hindu Margazhi Music Competition 2025: 139 Winners Announced Across Carnatic and Hindustani Categories
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The Hindu has announced the winners of its annual Margazhi Music Competition for 2025, recognising talented young singers and instrumentalists in both Carnatic and Hindustani music traditions. The full list of winners is now available on the newspaper's website.
In total, 139 prizes were given out, made up of 43 first prizes, 43 second prizes, and 27 third prizes. Beyond these, several children also received special mention certificates for performances that impressed the judges, even if they did not make the top three ranks.
The competition drew an enormous response this year, with 1,063 video entries submitted by music enthusiasts practising Carnatic and Hindustani styles. The contest closed in mid-January 2026, after which the entries were carefully sorted and passed on to a panel of expert judges in March 2026.
Judging such a large number of entries was no small task. The judges had to watch each performance closely, checking whether the raga, krithi, and thala were rendered correctly, and then make difficult decisions about how to rank the many talented participants.
Several senior musicians who served as judges shared their impressions. Violin duo M. Lalitha and M. Nandini, known as the LN Sisters, praised the growing skill and dedication among young instrumentalists. Vocalist Varalakshmi Anandkumar described the process as both delightful and agonising, noting that many young singers displayed a musical maturity beyond their years, and that talented performers emerged from unexpected places, including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and even the United States. Hindustani vocalist Lalita Sharma similarly noted that a large share of participants showed a strong musical foundation.
This year's panel included two new judges: mridangam player Sridharan Sankaran and Carnatic vocalist Sajeev Chandramana. Both come from respected musical training backgrounds and said they were struck by how patiently even very young children had prepared their entries.
The competition, held during the Margazhi season closely associated with Carnatic and Hindustani music performances, continues to serve as a platform where young and lesser-known musicians can gain recognition from experienced masters of the art form.
Why it matters
The Margazhi Music Competition gives young and often unknown musicians, including children and those from regions without strong classical music traditions, a rare chance to be evaluated and recognised by respected senior artists. Contests like this help sustain classical Indian music traditions by encouraging new generations to learn seriously, while also surfacing hidden talent from across India and abroad that might otherwise never reach a wider audience.
Test yourself
1. What is The Hindu Margazhi Competition 2025 primarily about?
2. How many total prizes were awarded in the 2025 competition?
3. How many first prizes were given out?
4. How many video entries were received for the contest?
5. When did the competition entries close?
6. When were the entries sent to judges for evaluation?
7. What three musical elements did judges check in each performance?
8. Who were the two new judges added to the panel this year?
9. Which instrument judges were the LN Sisters known for?
10. According to Varalakshmi Anandkumar, from where did some talented young singers emerge?
Your notes
Source: The Hindu