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Folk music aficionados in Karnataka have objected to the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) conferring its folk music award on a Carnatic musician from the state, arguing the honour should have gone to someone rooted in the folk tradition itself.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), India’s national academy for music, dance and drama, announced Akademi Puraskar (Akademi Awards) and Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the young artists, for the year 2024-2025 on June 10, 2026. The controversy erupted when it became known that musician SC Sharma would receive an award in the folk music category.
S C Sharma, has served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Tumkur University and the director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Critics allege that Sharma is not a folk musician but a Carnatic musician and the award should have gone to a deserving artist who has contributed to the genre.
In 2026, six artists from Karnataka were selected for the SNA awards. Other winners besides SC Sharma were Yakshagana proponent Keremane Shivananda Hegde (other major traditions of dance and dance theatre) T S Nagabharana, (direction in the field of theatre), T S Sathyavathi (Overall contribution to music) and Jyoti Hegde (Hindustani instrumental-Rudra Veena). Mahalaxmi Shenoy, won the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for Hindustani vocals.
Arun Jolad Kudulgi, a folklore researcher, alleged in a social media post on June 20, that Sharma has no connection to folk music. He also alleged that he had sung only four songs, available in Sharma’s YouTube channel, that could be categorised as “Janapada” or folk. “This is truly an insult to the folk art world of Karnataka”, he said. He also urged the folk artist organisations of Karnataka, including the Karnataka Janapada Academy, Bangalore to protest against the award.
Sneha Kappana, founder of Bhramari Dance Repertoire, an Indian dance company started in 2002, in a Facebook post, on June 19, said there are deserving folk musicians who have dedicated their entire life to folk songs and folklore in Karnataka. “Folk artists are also true custodians of our great legacy. Folk artists have less opportunities for receiving national acclaim. Such recognitions can help them in the long run,” wrote Sneha.
However, several musicians have welcomed the SNA decision to honour Sharma. They said the recognition was long overdue, given his decades-long contribution to the field.
On June 22, Udhay Kiran KT, a carnatic classical musician and an academician of music had congratulated Sharma for the award via a Facebook post. He says he's personally witnessed Sharma blend folk traditions with Carnatic ragas in concert. “His lifelong commitment to the preservation, promotion, and scholarly study of folk arts deserves the highest appreciation and recognition in the form of Central Sangeet Natak Academy award 2024”, he added.
TN Krishnamoorthy, a Bengaluru-based art educator and consultant, said awarding Sharma is not acceptable. “There are many marginalised artists who deserve this award. I have worked in the arts education sector for many years. People who are deserving should get this award,” he said.
This article was written by students interning with TNM.
