The Filmfare Award for Best Music Director is presented by Filmfare in its annual Filmfare Awards to the music composer or arranger who develops the most appealing and delightfully melodic soundtrack for a Hindi film of the preceding year. Introduced in 1954 at the very inception of Filmfare Awards, it was first presented to Naushad Ali for his composed song ‘Tu Ganga Ki Mauj’ from the film ‘Baiju Bawra’. For the first two years, it was awarded to a composer for a particular song and not the entire soundtrack. Later from 1956, this award has been given to composers for the entire music album.

Prominent Records in Filmfare Award for Best Music Director
Internationally acclaimed music director A. R. Rahman has been honoured with the most number of Filmfare Awards for Best Music Director, with 10 of them out of a total of 14 nominations. He has won every time he has been nominated except for two occasions - once in 2005 when he lost to popular music composer Anu Malik and again in 2014, losing to Ankit Tiwari, Mithoon and Jeet Ganguly for ‘Aashiqui 2’.

Music director duo Shankar Jaikishan has won 9 awards in the category, from a total of 20 nominations in which 10 are consecutive from 1959 to 1967, holding the record for highest number of consecutive nominations. Duo Laxmikant Pyarelal holds the most number of total nominations with 25, followed by Shankar Jaikishan with 20 and R. D. Burman with 17.

Laxmikant Pyarelal and A. R. Rahman hold the distinct record of winning the award four times in a row, from 1978 to 1981 and 2007 to 2010 respectively. Duo Shankar Jaikishan has won the award thrice in a row (1971-1973) along with Nadeem Shravan (1991-1993).

Anu Malik has the maximum nominations in a period of 10 years, with 13 of them during 1995-2005.

Usha Khanna and Sneha Khanwalkar are the only two women to have ever been nominated under this category, for their works in films ‘Souten’ (1983) and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ (2012) respectively.

Jatin Lalit has the most nominations without a win with 11 (between 1993 and 2007), followed by Vishal Shekhar with 8 nominations (between 2006 and 2014).

Filmfare Award for Best Music Director at 61st Filmfare Awards
The 61st edition of Filmfare Awards held in January 2016 had an illustrious list of popular contemporary music directors nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Music Director namely Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros Anjjan and Amaal Mallik for ‘Roy’, A. R. Rahman for ‘Tamasha’, Pritam for ‘Dilwale’, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, Anupam Roy for ‘Piku’ and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for ‘Bajirao Mastani’.

The award was presented to the trio Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros Anjjan and Amaal Mallik for their composed mesmerising, soothing and utterly foot-tapping soundtrack of the movie ‘Roy’ of 2015.

List of Winners of Filmfare Award for Best Music Director
The list of winners of Filmfare Award for Best Music Director from 1990 to 2016 and the respective films for which they crafted the music album are highlighted hereunder.

Year	Music Director	Film
2016	Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros Anjjan and Amaal Mallik	Roy
2015	Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy	2 States
2014	Ankit Tiwari, Mithoon and Jeet Ganguly	Aashiqui 2
2013	Pritam	Barfi!
2012	A. R. Rahman	Rockstar
2011	Sajid-Wajid and Lalit Pandit	Dabangg
2010	A. R. Rahman	Delhi-6
2009	A. R. Rahman	Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
2008	A. R. Rahman	Guru
2007	A. R. Rahman	Rang De Basanti
2006	Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy	Bunty Aur Babli
2005	Anu Malik	Main Hoon Na
2004	Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy	Kal Ho Naa Ho
2003	A. R. Rahman	Saathiya
2002	A. R. Rahman	Lagaan
2001	Rajesh Roshan	Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
2000	A. R. Rahman	Taal
1999	A. R. Rahman	Dil Se..
1998	Uttam Singh	Dil To Pagal Hai
1997	Nadeem-Shravan	Raja Hindustani
1996	A. R. Rahman	Rangeela
1995	R. D. Burman	1942: A Love Story
1994	Anu Malik	Baazigar
1993	Nadeem-Shravan	Deewana
1992	Nadeem-Shravan	Saajan
1991	Nadeem-Shravan	Aashiqui
1990	Raam Laxman	Maine Pyar Kiya