The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India since 1969 to an actress for the best performance within the Malayalam film industry. Until 1997, the awards were managed directly by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Since 1998, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous non-profit organisation functioning under the Department of Cultural Affairs, has been exercising control over the awards. The awardees, decided by a jury formed by the academy, are declared by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and are presented by the Chief Minister.
The 1st Kerala State Film Awards ceremony was held in 1970 with Sheela receiving the Best Actress award for her role in Kallichellamma (1969). The following year, Sharada was recognised for her performances in two filmsThriveni and Thara. Since then, several actresses have been awarded for more than one film during a year.
Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the government has presented a total of 54 Best Actress awards to 38 different actresses. Urvashi has been the most frequent winner, with six awards. She is followed by Sheela and Srividya with three awards each. As of 2023, nine actressesJayabharathi, Seema, Samyuktha Varma, Suhasini Maniratnam, Navya Nair, Meera Jasmine, Kavya Madhavan, Shweta Menon and Parvathy Thiruvothu have won the award two times. The 2005 ceremony was the only occasion when the category was tied; Kavya Madhavan and Geetu Mohandas shared the award for their performances in Perumazhakkalam, and Akale and Oridam respectively. The most recent recipient of the award is Shamla Hamza, for the film Feminichi Fathima in 2024.
Winners
Indicates a joint award for that year +List of award recipients, showing the year and film(s) Year Image Recipient(s) Film(s)1969SheelaKallichellamma1970 SharadaThriveniThara1971SheelaOru Penninte KadhaSarasayyaUmmachu1972Jayabharathi 1973MadhavikuttyGayathri1974LakshmiChattakari1975Rani ChandraSwapnadanam1976SheelaAnubhavam1977SanthakumariChuvanna Vithukal1978ShobaEnte Neelakaasham1979SrividyaEdavazhiyile Poocha Minda PoochaJeevitham Oru Gaanam1980Poornima JayaramManjil Virinja Pookkal1981JalajaVenal1982 MadhaviOrmakkayi1983SrividyaRachana1984SeemaAksharangalAalkkoottathil Thaniye1985Anubandham1986ShariNamukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal1987SuhasiniEzhuthappurangalManivathoorile Aayiram Sivarathrikal1988AnjuRugmini1989 UrvashiMazhavilkavadiVarthamana Kalam1990Thalayanamanthram1991Kadinjool KalyanamKakkathollayiramBharathamMukha Chithram1992SrividyaDaivathinte Vikrithikal1993ShobanaManichitrathazhu1994Shanthi KrishnaChakoram1995 Urvashi Kazhakam1996Manju WarrierEe Puzhayum Kadannu1997JomolEnnu Swantham Janakikutty1998SangitaChinthavishtayaya Shyamala1999Samyuktha VarmaVeendum Chila Veettukaryangal2000MadhuranombarakattuMazhaSwayamvara Panthal2001SuhasiniTheerthadanam2002Navya NairNandanam2003Meera JasmineKasthoorimanPaadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam 2004 *Kavya MadhavanPerumazhakkalam Geetu MohandasAkaleOridam2005Navya NairSairaKanne Madanguka2006 UrvashiMadhuchandralekha2007Meera JasmineOre Kadal2008 Priyanka NairVilapangalkappuram2009Swetha MenonPaleri Manikyam2010Kavya MadhavanKhaddama2011Swetha MenonSalt N' Pepper2012 Rima Kallingal22 Female KottayamNidra2013Ann Augustine Artist 2014Nazriya Nazim Bangalore DaysOhm Shanthi Oshaana 2015Parvathy Thiruvothu CharlieEnnu Ninte Moideen2016Rajisha Vijayan Anuraga Karikkin Vellam2017Parvathy ThiruvothuTake Off2018Nimisha SajayanOru Kuprasidha PayyanChola2019Kani KusrutiBiriyaani2020Anna BenKappela2021RevathiBhoothakalam2022 Vincy AloshiousRekha 2023 * UrvashiUllozhukku Beena R. ChandranThadavu2024 Shamla Hamza Feminichi Fathima
See also National Film Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Malayalam
References
External links Official website Department of Cultural Affairs Department of Information and Public Relations: Awardees list