The winners of the music contest in Chennai on Friday.
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
Winners of The Hindu Margazhi Music Contest were felicitated at an event here on Friday.Carnatic vocalist Varalakshmi Anandkumar said it was heartening to see that despite distractions, these children were doggedly pursuing the Carnatic art form.“It can be stressful [to judge] as so many have sent their [submissions] with so much of expectations [after putting in] so much of hard work. The number of entries is only increasing year after year, and it only shows how popular this competition is,” she said.‘Tremendous potential’Mridangam exponent and Carnatic musician Sridharan Sankaran said the children had tremendous potential.“Some of the candidates who were in the junior category performed so well that I thought they were seniors. That was the level of quality. More people want to come and showcase their talent. I want more children to participate, showcase their talent, continue to learn, perform, and listen. That is the way they become better,” he said.He urged the children to listen more to great maestros, as it would help them pick up the nuances.Of more than 1,000 contestants, 139 emerged as winners. This included 43 first prizes, 43 second prizes, 27 third prizes, and 26 special mention certificates.Suresh Nambath, Editor, The Hindu, and L.V. Navaneeth, CEO, The Hindu Group, were also present.The panel of judges for the music contest included Carnatic vocalist Varalakshmi Anandkumar, mridangam exponent and Carnatic musician Sridharan Sankaran, violin vidushis and composers LN Sisters (M. Lalitha and M. Nandini), Hindustani guru and vocalist Lalita Sharma, and Carnatic vocalist Sajeev Chandramana.Here is the full list of winners: newsth.live/winnerslist Published - July 25, 2026 12:30 am IST
