The J. C. Daniel Award is the highest award in
Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
, established by the
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who ...
, India. It is presented annually by the
Kerala State Chalachitra Academy
Kerala State Motion Picture Academy is an autonomous non-profit institution based in Trivandrum, working under the Department of Cultural Affairs (Kerala), Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala.
History
It was founded in Augus ...
, a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
autonomous institution operating under the
Department of Cultural Affairs,
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
. Instituted in 1992, the award recognizes individuals for their "outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema".
Recipients are selected by a jury suggested by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and appointed by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
[ , the honourees receive a ]statuette
A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...
, a citation, and a cash prize of . They are honoured at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony.
The Government of Kerala created the award to commemorate the contribution of Indian filmmaker J. C. Daniel, who is often regarded as the "father of Malayalam cinema".[ In 2003, the prize money was doubled and, as part of a technical correction to update it, no award was presented that year. Actor ]Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/médʰu, ''*médʰu'', whenc ...
was the first recipient of the award with the increased monetary prize of in 2004.[ Since 2016, the cash prize is .]Aranmula Ponnamma
Aranmula Ponnamma (8 April 1914 – 21 February 2011) was an Indian actress known for her roles as mother of the protagonist in numerous films in a career spanning over five decades. She is widely described as a mother figure in Malayalam ...
was the first woman to receive the honour, in 2005. The 2011 recipient, actor Jose Prakash
Kunnel Joseph Joseph, better known by his stage name, Jose Prakash (14 April 1925 – 24 March 2012) was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Malayalam cinema. He was a singer turned actor who had appeared in more than 300 films mostly in a ...
, died before the award ceremony. His son accepted the award on his behalf. The most recent winner is filmmaker Shaji N. Karun.
Recipients
See also
* Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest Film award, award in the field of cinema, given by the Government of India and presented annually at the National Film Awards. The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the ...
Footnotes
References
External links
Official website for Kerala State Chalachithra Academy
Official website for Department of Cultural Affairs
{{featured list
Kerala State Film Awards
Malayalam cinema
Lifetime achievement awards
Lists of Indian award winners