51 Artistes Receive Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards

On 5 June 2026, 51 artistes received Sangeet Natak Akademi awards at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. The awards covered the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and the recipients were associated with music, dance, theatre and folk arts.

Sangeet Natak Akademi

The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s national academy for music, dance and drama. It functions under the Ministry of Culture and recognises contributions in performing arts through annual awards and fellowships.

Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi

The Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi organised the ceremony at Lok Bhawan. The institution works in the field of music, dance, theatre and folk traditions in Uttar Pradesh.

Awards and Honours in Theatre

Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, was the chief guest and presented the awards. The ceremony included the Safdar Hashmi Award and the BM Shah Award for contributions to theatre and stage.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1953 as India’s national academy for music, dance and drama.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are among the highest national honours in the field of performing arts in India.
• Safdar Hashmi was a noted Indian playwright, director and street theatre activist.
• BM Shah was associated with Indian theatre and stage performance.

Preservation of Folk Traditions

The Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi has preserved more than 5,500 hours of rare audio-video recordings of folk music and theatre traditions. Anandiben Patel is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.