Here are the results that you have been waiting for: the judges have chosen 68 winners from the contestants of The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest 2025.

As this year, a whopping 1,500-plus entries were received and many of them had done well, the panel of judges opted to choose extra consolation prizes.

Video recordings by Carnatic and Hindustani music practitioners were sent under these categories — children (below 12 years), juniors (13-19 years), and seniors (20-40 years). The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) is the associate sponsor for the contest.

Prema Rangarajan, musicologist and senior vocalist said students who send their entries should take the contest very seriously, especially juniors. They should practice well. “The senior participants have performed much better. I saw good talents this year…,” she said.

Hindustani vocalist, guru and founder of Swaraangan School for Hindustani Music in Chennai, Lalita Sharma said she was happy to see the rising number of applicants every year. “Some people sing film songs thinking they are classical music. A little homework on genres will be nice before applying.”

Varalakshmi Anandkumar, senior musician, guru, and French professor, said that year after year, the number of highly talented candidates was on the rise. Truly, at the final stage of filtering 300 and more contestants, making a decision is an agonising experience. More pitiful is the necessity to weed out certain talented singers for reasons such as lack of shruti box, video and sometimes, incorrect introductions.

“Sometimes, one feels that the junior category of 4-12 could be further subdivided as 4-8, and 9-12; but even with this wide range, we have seen some extraordinary kutty vidwans and vidwamsinis holding their own against their older counterparts,” she said. Violin vidhushis and gurus M. Lalitha and M. Nandhini said The Hindu Music Contest was when they made time to listen to different genres and styles of other teachers, and rare krithis. “It is just great to see parents encourage children to take up music seriously, and take the time and effort to record and send entries. It is very difficult to play instruments. We only wish that these students don’t give up on music because of their career…”

Vijayan Bhaskar, mridangam guru and founder of Laya Sadhana, the Percussion Academy, who has been a judge for the second time, said the quality of entries was improving by the year. “Though the number of entries was more than last year’s, the contest has to reach more teachers and students. Since we judge based on what is sent by contestants, we had to listen to each entry several times before deciding the winners. Perhaps, next year the contest will graduate to a live performance round too,” he added. The names of winners and consolation prizes can be viewed at https://newsth.live/Margazhi