Tamil Poet R. Vairamuthu to Receive 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025

Tamil Poet R. Vairamuthu to Receive 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025

Renowned Tamil poet, lyricist and writer R. Vairamuthu has been selected for the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, for the year 2025. The announcement was made on Saturday by the Bharatiya Jnanpith.

Vairamuthu will receive the 60th Jnanpith Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Tamil literature, noted for its creative depth and distinctive poetic voice.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee chaired by noted writer Pratibha Ray. The panel included several eminent writers and scholars such as Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Suranjan Das, A. Krishna Rao, Prafulla Shiledar, Kesubhai Desai, Janaki Prasad Sharma, K. Srinivas Rao, and Maheshwar.

Born on July 13, 1953, in Tamil Nadu, Vairamuthu is regarded as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Tamil literature. His writings are widely admired for their vivid portrayal of human emotions, social realities and deep sensitivity towards nature.

Over a literary career spanning more than four decades, he has made major contributions to poetry, film lyrics and prose. Vairamuthu has authored more than 37 books, including celebrated works such as Kallikattu Ethikasam, Karuvachi Kaaviyam, Thanni Desam, and Moondraam Ullaga Por.

He has also had a distinguished career in cinema and has won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics seven times. In addition, he received the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014 from the Government of India.

In 2003, he was also honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his acclaimed novel Kallikattu Ethikasam. The Government of Tamil Nadu earlier conferred on him the Kalaimamani Award for his contributions to literature and the arts.

The selection committee noted that despite the richness of Tamil literature, only two Tamil writers—P. V. Akilan in 1975 and D. Jayakanthan in 2002—had previously received the Jnanpith Award.

The honour carries a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a bronze statuette of Saraswati (Vagdevi), and a citation. It is presented annually to an author for exceptional contribution to literature in any of India’s recognised languages.