The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed directly by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala. Since 1998, the awards have been constituted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous, non-profit institution functioning under the Department of Cultural Affairs. The awardees are decided by a jury constituted every year. They are announced by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and are presented by the Chief Minister.
Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the government has presented 55 Best Actor awards to 35 actors. The recipients receive a figurine, a certificate, and a cash prize of . Several actors have won the honour for more than one film in a given year. As of 2020, the only actor to have won the prize in consecutive years is Bharat Gopy, in 1982 and 1983.
The first Kerala State film Awards ceremony was held in 1970 with Sathyan receiving the award for Kadalpalam (1969). As of 2025, Mammootty is the most honoured actor with seven awards. Mohanlal has won the award six times. Actors Bharat Gopy and Murali have won the award four times. Prithviraj Sukumaran is the youngest recipient at age 24 for Vaasthavam (2006). There were five years when there was a tie for the winnerRajit Kapur and Murali shared the honour in 1998, Fahadh Faasil and Lal in 2013, Nivin Pauly and Sudev Nair in 2014, Jayasurya and Soubin Shahir in 2018, and Biju Menon and Joju George in 2021. The recent winner is Mammootty for Bramayugam (2024).
Winners
Indicates a joint award for that year
Year Image Recipient(s) Film(s) 1969 Sathyan Kadalpalam 1970Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair Aranazhika Neram 1971 SathyanKarakanakadal 1972Thikkurissy Sukumaran NairMaaya 1973P. J. AntonyNirmalyam 1974Adoor BhasiChattakari 1975SudheerSathyathinte Nizhalil 1976M. G. SomanThanalPallavi 1977Bharat GopyKodiyettam 1978SukumaranBandhanam 1979Adoor BhasiCheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal 1980 AchankunjuLorry 1981Nedumudi Venu 1982 Bharat GopyOrmakkayi 1983Ente MamattukkuttiyammakkuRachanaKattathe KilikkooduEenam 1984MammoottyAdiyozhukkukal 1985Bharat GopyChidambaram 1986MohanlalT. P. Balagopalan M. A. 1987Nedumudi VenuOru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam 1988 PremjiPiravi 1989MammoottyOru Vadakkan VeeragathaMrigayaMahayanam 1990ThilakanPerumthachan 1991MohanlalAbhimanyuUlladakkamKilukkam 1992MuraliAadhaaram 1993MammoottyVidheyanPonthan MadaVatsalyam 1994ThilakanGamanamSanthanagopalam 1995MohanlalSpadikamKaalapani 1996MuraliKaanaakkinaavu 1997Suresh GopiKaliyattam 1998 MuraliThalolam Rajit KapurAgnisakshi 1999MohanlalVanaprastham 2000O. MadhavanSayahnam 2001MuraliNeythukaran 2002Oduvil UnnikrishnanNizhalkuthu 2003Nedumudi VenuMargam 2004MammoottyKaazhcha 2005MohanlalThanmathra 2006 Prithviraj SukumaranVaasthavam 2007MohanlalParadesi 2008LalThalappavu 2009 MammoottyPaleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha 2010Salim KumarAdaminte Makan Abu 2011DileepVellaripravinte Changathi 2012 Prithviraj SukumaranCelluloidAyalum Njanum Thammil 2013 Fahadh FaasilArtistNorth 24 Kaatham LalAyaalZachariayude Garbhinikal 2014 Nivin Pauly1983 Sudev NairMy Life Partner 2015 Dulquer SalmaanCharlie 2016 VinayakanKammatipaadam 2017IndransAalorukkam 2018 Soubin ShahirSudani from Nigeria JayasuryaCaptainNjan Marykutty2019Suraj VenjaramooduAndroid Kunjappan Version 5.25Vikruthi2020JayasuryaVellam2021 Biju MenonAarkkariyam Joju GeorgeNayattuMadhuramThuramukhamFreedom Fight2022MammoottyNanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam2023Prithviraj SukumaranAadujeevitham2024MammoottyBramayugam
Notes
References
External links Official website Department of Cultural Affairs Department of Information and Public Relations: Awardees list