The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Carnatic Music (Instrumental) is one of the main categories of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, which is the highest national award for performing arts in India. The award is presented by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Carnatic Music (Instrumental) is presented to the exceptionally talented musicians of India. Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer was the first person to win the award in this category, in 1952. He won the award for his excellence in playing Violin. Several other brilliant musicians in different categories like Clarionet, Flute, Ghatam, Gottuvadyam, Kanjira, Mridangam, Nagaswaram, Saxophone, Thavil, Veena, Violin, etc. have won the award, since then.
The list of the winners of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Carnatic Music (Instrumental) is given below:
•Clarionet |
|
| Year | Clarionet Player |
| 1994 | A.K.C. Natarajan |
•Mandolin |
|
| Year | Mandolin Player |
| 2009 | Srinivas |
•Flute |
|
| Year | Flute Player |
| 1961 | T.N. Swaminatha Pillai |
| 1984 | Natesan Ramani |
| 1987 | T. Viswanathan |
| 1989 | Sikkil Sisters (Kunjumani & Neela) |
| 1997 | Kesi Narayanaswamy |
| 1999- 2000 |
T. S. Sankaran |
| 2004 | Prapancham Sita Ram |
•Ghatam |
|
| Year | Ghatam Player |
| 1988 | T. H. Vinayakram |
| 1995 | Umayalpuram K. Narayanaswamy |
•Gottuvadyam |
|
| Year | Gottuvadyam Player |
| 1958 | Budalur Krishnamurthi Sastri |
| 2006 | Chitravina N. Ravi Kiran |
•Kanjira |
|
| Year | Kanjira Player |
| 2001 | G Harishankar |
•Mridangam |
|
| Year | Mridangam Player |
| 1956 | Palghat T.S. Mani Iyer |
| 1975 | C.S. Murugabhoopathy |
| 1979 | Kolanka Venkataraju |
| 1983 | Palghat R. Raghu |
| 1987 | T.K. Murthy |
| 1990 | T.V. Gopalkrishnan |
| 1991 | Vellore G. Ramabhadran |
| 1992 | Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman |
| 1994 | Dandamudi Rammohan Rao |
| 1996 | Guruvayur Dorai |
| 1999 | Karaikudi Mani |
| 2000 | V. Kamalakar Rao |
| 2002 | YellaVenkataeshwara Rao |
| 2006 | Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam |
| 2008 | Mannargudi A Easwaran |
| 2009 | Dandamudi Sumathi Rama Mohan Rao |
•Nagaswaram |
|
| Year | Nagaswaram Player |
| 1955 | Thiruvaduthurai N. Rajratnam Pillai |
| 1962 | Dr. Thiruvengadu Subramania Pillai |
| 1966 | P.S. Veeruswamy Pillai |
| 1972 | T. S. Natarajasundaram Pillai |
| 1976 | Sheik Chinna Moulana |
| 1981 | Namagiripettai K. Krishnan |
| 1995 | Domada Chitiabbayi |
| 2005 | Ongale N. Rangaiah |
| 2007 | S. R. D. Vaithiyanathan |
•Sexophone |
|
| Year | Saxophone Player |
| 2003 | Kadri Gopalnath |
•Thavil |
|
| Year | Thavil Player |
| 1985 | Valangaiman A. Shanmugasundaram Pillai |
| 1988 | Valayapatti, A.R. Subramaniam |
•Veena |
|
| Year | Veena Player |
| 1952 | Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer |
| 1960 | L. Subramanya Sastri |
| 1968 | K.S. Narayanaswami |
| 1969 | Devakottai A. Narayana Iyengar |
| 1970 | Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar |
| 1973 | Emani Sankara Sastry |
| 1977 | S. Balachander |
| 1980 | Tanjavur K.P. Sivanandam |
| 1986 | Raajeswari Padmanabhan |
| 1988 | R. Pichumani Iyer |
| 1990 | Chitti Babu |
| 1992 | M.K. Kalyanakrishna Bhagavathar |
| 1993 | Kalpakam Swaminathan |
| 2001 | R.N. Doreswamy |
| 2002 | E. Gayathri |
| 2007 | Vidya Shankar |
•Violin |
|
| Year | Violin Player |
| 1953 | Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu |
| 1957 | T. Chowdiah |
| 1959 | Kumbakonam Rajamanickkam Pillai |
| 1963 | T.K. Jayarama Iyer |
| 1964 | K.N. Chinnaswamy Iyer |
| 1967 | K.S. Venkataramiah `Papa` |
| 1971 | Madurai S. Subramanya Iyer |
| 1974 | T. N. Krishnan |
| 1978 | Lalgudi G. Jayaraman |
| 1982 | M. S. Gopalakrishnan |
| 1986 | M. Chandrasekaran |
| 1988 | Chalakudy N.S. Narayanaswamy |
| 1989 | R.K. Venkatarama Sastry |
| 1991 | Kandadevi S. Alagiriswamy |
| 1993 | Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan |
| 1996 | Annavarapu Ramaswamy |
| 1997 | T. Rukmini |
| 1998 | M.S. Anantharaman |
| 2000 | R.R Keshava Murthy |
| 2003 | A. Kanyakumari |
| 2008 | B. Sasikumar |
